The Tower
by Laina Inverse
Summary: When the renowned thief Kurama arranges to steal from Raizen's treasure vaults, nothing goes right for him. Injured and fleeing pursuit, he takes shelter in a tower... that turns out to be not as abandoned as he originally thought.
1. Prologue

Prologue

 _Carnivorous Wish Blossom; a Makai plant that has the ability to grant power to a demon that can raise them beyond S-class. Per the orders of King Yama, all Wish Blossoms must be eliminated from the Makai. All information on these flowers must be locked into the high-level vault and any copies must be destroyed._

 _The plants burn easily. So does the information. Get it done, Ootaki._

* * *

It was the last Wish Blossom in existence, and she had guarded the knowledge of it ever since she'd found the damn thing. Hidden deep in King Raizen's territory, surrounded by trees so ancient and tall, no one but the oldest of the demons would know their names...

It was an ugly thing; it looked like a human pitcher-plant, in that abysmally hot country she didn't care to know the name of. Actually, she didn't much care about knowing the names of _any_ parts of the Ningenkai. Why bother? Humans were food, not _people._

Or at least, that had been the general consensus for a long time. Until Raizen had gone to the human world and one of those _animals_ had corrupted him. Now he was saying they had no _right_ to eat humans! Someone of _his_ power saying that had a ripple effect across all of Makai; the fighting could last for centuries, millennia, and they would all grow weak because he had fallen in love with some _mortal bitch_.

Satori hadn't known how quickly adulation could become contempt until she'd heard the words come straight from his mouth. Unfortunately, she was _not_ as powerful as he was, and any challenge she might throw at him would end pretty swiftly... she would die, and that would simply be that. Even Koku, the one he'd most recently had some sort of relations with—and she had _hated_ Koku for it—had been forced to concede to his whim.

Rather, Koku had tried to put Raizen through his throne room wall in her fury before breaking holes in every floor she stomped down leaving the palace. But it amounted to the same thing.

Satori had left much more quietly, her mind churning. What little she knew about the Wish Blossom suggested that if she found the right thing to feed it, to sacrifice to it, it would grant her the power she so desperately wanted. She could throw Raizen from his throne, and he would then come to _her_...

But sacrificing fellow demons hadn't gotten her anywhere. The ugly flower's bowl seemed to have grown, but she had been gifted nothing. No power had streamed to her from it, and part of her was convinced that it was just some ugly Makai variant.

She paced before it, weaving her fingers in her purple-black hair as she cursed vehemently. This plant _would_ grant her wish, damnit. She _would_ depose Raizen, he _would_ come to her for all his needs because she _would_ be the most powerful one in existence!

She just had to find that human woman that had made him go all _stupid_ , and use her as a sacrifice.

* * *

Her name was unimportant to most people, and that was fine. Kasumi didn't need people to know who she was, so long as they continued to help make it so that she could help _them_. Her body was a relatively vicious stew of poisons, after all, meant to help other people gain immunity to such things.

She wished, albeit fleetingly, that she could have told that demon man. Wished a little more strongly that he would come _back_... Not just for her, but for the child that was growing inside of her. It had been over six months now, since she'd tended to his injuries and taunted him about eating her.

She hadn't expected him to eat her in a different way...

The memory was a pleasurable one, sending agreeable shivers down her spine, but it was pointless to linger; he was gone, and she was growing slowly weaker as the child within grew stronger.

A half-demon wasn't unheard of, but she wondered what the people in her village would make of it. Would the baby look like her, or would it look like the demon? If she died, as she suspected she might, who would take the baby in? Would the baby even _survive_ the battlegrounds that her blood and flesh were?

She thrust the questions aside; pointless worrying wouldn't put food on her table for herself or the child. Whatever happened, it would come as it was meant to.

Kasumi looked out at the small well she had caught the demon man drinking from, and remembered that wild white hair, and the smell of demon blood.

 _Would_ he ever come back?

* * *

It had taken Satori an annoying amount of time to track the human woman; uncaring of Ningenkai geography meant that figuring out which country Raizen had been tended to in was a matter of guesswork and careful questioning. Blending in with the humans she so wanted to devour while seeking her intended prey.

But at last, the woman was located. Heavily pregnant, or so rumor said. Satori didn't care; two bodies would provide as good an energy source as one, after all. Finally getting _some_ power out of the damned Wish Blossom had helped make this easier, but not by a great deal, and Satori bided her time a few days more. Watching.

The woman didn't seem to notice she was under scrutiny, and Satori mentally sneered at her obliviousness. For a human she was... pretty, _maybe._ Dark hair and eyes, pale skin, an air of regality about her. Raizen was a fool to fall for her, to vow to eat no further humans _because_ of her. Worse, to order his people to not eat humans, to threaten punishment if they were caught...

She clenched her hands tightly, hissing softly in pain and pleasure as her nails pierced her palms. She would show him. She would take this woman from him, and this child too. It didn't matter if the baby was his or not; just knowing that it died would be enough.

* * *

The attack came at night; Kasumi was woken abruptly by a clawed hand covering her mouth, and found herself forcibly wrapped in layers of cloth, far too many to struggle out of easily, especially in her current state. She was tired. _So_ tired.

She struggled anyways, and the demon who held her grinned coldly, fangs glinting in the moonlight.

"Scream and I will kill you here," the demon whispered in a sibilant voice, forked tongue flicking lightly. "But struggle if you like. That pleases me."

Kasumi responded by biting the demon's hand.

Sharp claws pierced the side of her head, raking across her face as the demon pulled away in a hiss of pain and fury. Kasumi spat out the traces of blood and skin she had managed to get, refusing to cry out with her own pain; whatever this demon wanted, it was not going to get the satisfaction of her agony.

Eyes the color of a ripe persimmon glowed with anger and hate, and Kasumi was wrenched from the bed, forced to stand as the demon whispered something; a strange and terrifying chant that opened a portal beneath them and dropped them into a world Kasumi had only every heard tales about.

Makai.

It was a dreary looking place, she decided, trying to ignore the blood that trickled down her face. The sky was deep red and cloud-covered, the air thick with the tension of an awaiting storm. The trees that surrounded them were tall, far taller than anything she'd ever seen before, and the nearest plants... she'd never seen anything like them.

In this light, she could get a better look at the demon who'd kidnapped her. The demon was vaguely feminine in shape, close to eight feet in height and scaled very much like a snake, colored black and gray. Dark purple-black hair was tied up in a tail and sprang from a single point at the top of her skull; on either side of the ponytail were silvery horns that curved back over her skull.

Her chest and belly were also scaled, these ones looking more like samurai armor, in a deep green, and seemed to be actual armor; certainly she wore no chest covering, and only a pair of loose black pants on her legs. Her feet were much like a bird's—two long, clawed toes in front and one in back, easily balanced upon by the demon.

Fighting against this demon was pointless; Kasumi was weak from carrying the child, and the rigors that posed on her already corrupted body. She wasn't even sure the baby was _alive_ any more... it hadn't moved very much over the past few days.

But she wasn't going to go anywhere without at least _saying_ something.

"Why... are you doing this?"

Talking hurt; the injuries on her face were not shallow. The demon's hard orange eyes narrowed a little in what Kasumi thought was satisfaction.

"You corrupted our king," she hissed. "You with your lofty ideals and human looks have made him weak. He now tells us that anyone who partakes of human flesh will be punished!"

"Your king...?"

The demon only hissed, picking Kasumi up by the back of her robe.

"This madness of his will only end if someone else has the power to _beat_ it out of him. And once I feed you to the Wish Blossom, that great power will be _mine_."

* * *

The portal hadn't put them anywhere near the damned flower, but Satori made no effort to let the human woman know that. It was annoying having to _carry_ her, but better to keep her bound than to risk her running off and being found by a demon who was _afraid_ of Raizen and would bring this to his attention.

She could see now, a little better, why Raizen hadn't simply _eaten_ her, though. The rank smell of her flesh suggested this woman was rotting from the inside out; how she'd lived _this_ long was almost impressive. But mostly, it was just annoying. Humans had no right dictating the lives of demons, and her foul influence over Raizen needed to _end_.

It took almost a week for Satori, carrying the human, to find the Wish Blossom again; it would have been longer if Satori hadn't laced the area around it with her own energy. The energy kept away the lesser demons; no one wanted to tangle with her type, after all. Even if she didn't eat them, the venom in her jaws would rot _them_ from the inside out.

The human woman was only barely alive, and only that because a living body granted to the Wish Blossom produced _more_ power than a dead one. She hadn't spoken a word since Satori had mentioned the Wish Blossom at the start, and Satori was glad of it; humans spoke too much as it was. For stupid chattel, they seemed to think that they had the right to use words far more often than necessary.

"Your king won't thank you for this," the human rasped out as Satori hauled her towards the giant plant.

"I don't need his thanks," Satori snarled, venom slipping from her fangs as she bared them at the human. "His obeisance will be enough."

"If... he's the demon I suspect... you won't get _that_ either."

Satori hissed, and dropped the woman into the plant. The Wish Blossom's leafy lid clamped into place, and she settled back to wait.

* * *

Kasumi bit back a cry of pain as she splashed down into the acidic water, closing her eyes tightly; she had spent most of the week wondering when the demon would kill her, what a Wish Blossom was, and why it was so important. Keeping those questions to herself had been perhaps more effort than they were worth. As the plant sealed over her, she considered what she had done with her life, and found that she regretted not even a single moment of it.

Her people were idiots, to be sure, but they would someday soon learn better ways. That's what humans were good at, after all; changing.

Her thoughts flicked to the demon, the one who had to be their king. He had decided to not eat humans, forbidden his people from it? It made little sense, but then, she couldn't say that she had known him very well. Tending to him, and that one night of passion...

The burn was getting stronger now, and the air thicker; what little ambient light there was had vanished after it plant had sealed itself up.

No regrets.

No wishes...

No.

One wish.

Her baby. She wanted to save her baby.

It was a fierce desire one that surged in the wake of the pain. She didn't care about herself, but her baby _needed_ to survive. And to survive in this harsh world...

Kasumi brought her hands up, trying to ignore the bite of pain as she wrapped them across her belly; she had never been one for prayer before, but now she prayed with all she had, even as the darkness closed in completely around her.

 _Send my baby to their father._

* * *

Power began to coalesce around the flower, a deep, heavy power that made Satori grin; this was the right sacrifice then, the right beginning of the end of Raizen's foolishness. It glimmered golden, pale blue, lavender, and swirled in the heavy bowl where the human's body rested.

But when Satori reached out, to siphon the power away with a spell of her own, the flower, its contents and the power all seemed to explode into nothing more than dirt.

She stood there, a fine, ash-brown dust powdered over her scales, then _shrieked_ in thwarted fury.

* * *

Raizen's throne room had been emptied for the day, mostly by his own ire at the constantly pestering demons who wanted to argue about his ban on eating humans. He had already thrown his own second through three walls to make his point, damnit, how many more _idiots_ did he have to half-kill before they actually listened?

If he didn't have to spend so much effort on _them_ , he could work on improvements to his territory, making himself more worthy of the human he had fallen for. To create instead of destroy... to eat no further humans until he saw her again, and could tell her of what he had done.

In another time, his earlier life, he would have laughed at himself and his romantic notions; being worthy of a human? A human with spine and spirit, enough to perhaps provide him with some interesting progeny... Assuming, of course, that her own corrupted flesh would allow her that ability.

Strange how she'd had so profound an effect on him. And yet... not an unwelcome one, despite what his people might think. As for those fools in Reikai, well..

Raizen snorted a little, dismissively. They weren't worth the effort of thinking about, really.

He levered himself from his throne to give vent to a restless sort of energy; the air felt thicker suddenly, more oppressive than usual for this part of the realm. He could feel no one near his throne room, not even Hokushin... though if he felt like being fair, Hokushin probably needed some time to recover. Three walls might have been a bit... _much_.

The fact that the monk demon had gotten up and wobbled away was promising though. A decade ago, that would have killed him.

Raizen stilled suddenly as power blossomed in the center of the empty room, throwing himself backwards and preparing for a fight.

A fight didn't come, but a literal blossom did; it reminded him of a flower in human world, multi-petaled and white... but that was a water flower, and this had grown up through solid stone. Where had it even _come_ from?

It was glowing too, a light that was almost disturbingly pure for this realm, and he hesitated to get near it; was it some sort of hunter trap? How had it found him? How had it gotten _in_?

Slowly, petal by petal it unfurled, and he tensed further, energy flickering around his palms. As soon as something moved, he would...

Something moved all right. And then to his astonishment, began wailing. A baby... no... _two_ babies? Were at the heart of the flower. And curled around them, a spectral figure, a woman. Dark hair like silk, her kimono tattered and ruined as if burnt...

Raizen's breath caught; he knew that body. But how? Why?

The spirit unfolded from the plant casting her gaze over the stone walls of the throne room, and Raizen felt rather acutely aware of the lack of comfort this room presented. When her gaze landed on him, he felt a heady rush somewhere between awe and anger; it was her all right. That coolly arrogant gaze was impossible to mistake.

"...you're dead," he said after a moment, feeling too stunned to be more articulate.

" _Yes._ "

She looked down at the crying baby, then at the other, who seemed only to watching. As if she were still a physical presence, she reached down and touched the crying one's forehead. It subsided almost immediately,

" _The flower brought me to you. Good. Then you can raise the child. Children. They're yours._ "

"...mine?"

Raizen approached the flower cautiously, taking a closer look at the two babies. A boy and a girl looked back at him with solemn brown eyes, wisps of black hair flattened to their heads. Definitely not newborns, but perhaps that was better... he had no idea how to care for children even _this_ size. Smaller would have _definitely_ been a problem.

" _Yours_ ," she repeated, her tone sardonic. " _And if you abandon them, I'll find a way to make you regret it._ "

He looked at her again, taking in the way she stood and the narrow-eyed stare she was giving him. After a moment he nodded a little in somewhat pained acknowledgment; this woman was dead, and leaving him two progeny. Much more than he had even expected. He hadn't even known she was pregnant...

" _Good_. _I have other places to be._ " She turned, paused, then turned back, hair flowing like spectral silk, " _And whoever the idiot king is that demanded you not eat humans, ignore him. Just... ignore him_."

"...that would be me," Raizen replied, and it was his turn to be sardonic. "I was going to abstain until we met again."

" _Well, you're an idiot, then. It's part of what keeps you alive and healthy. You'll need that to care for them_."

She gestured slightly to the twins—for what else could they be?—and he looked down at them warily again. There was the faint sound, like wet silk on rock, and when he looked up again, she was gone.

And he still hadn't learned her name.

The flower, however, remained, and the babies as well. Carefully he picked them up, one in each arm, and stepped back; the flower withered away to dust in seconds, leaving a faint trace of brown dust, and a series of cracks from where the things roots must've been.

After a moment Raizen simply shook his head, and kicked open the door; he had bigger things to worry about now...

* * *

Word spread rapidly, mostly due to the shock of it; Lord Raizen had taken in two orphan half-bloods. The idea that half their bloodline might come from him was glossed over quickly; Raizen's change from eating humans to not, and then back again—albeit in a more limited, restrained manner—was hard enough to process.

Satori, when she finally heard the rumors, was quick to make her way towards Raizen's castle; if anyone asked, she had not seen her lord in months, and this sudden switch back to sanity was almost... welcome. Almost. She hadn't, wouldn't, forgive him that human woman. No more would she forgive that human woman for stealing all that power that had been growing.

No, subduing Raizen was still her goal, but now she lacked the power for it. Without the Wish Blossom, it could take millennia to grow more powerful. She had to use more patience.

The stone fortress laughing knowing as Raizen's palace was almost a hive of activity, and Satori could hear Raizen's bellow from within; caution slowed her steps, and she moved with care through the halls until she encountered Hokushin, who was looking a bit... harried.

"Oh, Satori, you've returned," he looked at her hard for a moment, then shook his head. "Lord Raizen is occupied at the moment, but I expect he'll be willing to receive you in a while."

"With those two halflings?" she made a faintly contemptuous sound, and managed to keep from flinching back as Hokushin's expression turned cold. Barely. He could, if he was so inclined, flatten her like a makaichu.

"They are Lord Raizen's children, and it would be wise to keep insult from your lips," he warned. "He has not hesitated to put anyone through walls or windows for such words."

Satori bowed a little in acknowledgment. The warning was unnecessary; she wouldn't dare question the legitimacy of a child in front of Raizen; she liked her head where it was. Attached. But where had the children come from? Who had made him rescind the order against eating humans?

She waited for Hokushin to continue on down the corridor, then headed up it, following Raizen's energy.

The room she found had been unused the last time she had been in the palace; or rather, it had been used as storage for unwanted and broken things that had nowhere else to go. Now... She grimaced at the sight of a functional nursery, then forced herself to smooth out her expression. It had always been unwise to speak against Raizen before, now she didn't dare.

He was there, sitting in the middle of the room with two other demon women, apparently being instructed on the finer points of caring for babies. The babies in question were scooting along the floor on hands and knees after a brightly colored ball. The boy was negligible to Satori's eyes, but from the girl, she felt a wisp of power.

The Wish Blossom.

Satori narrowed her eyes, staring hard; it wasn't possible, was it? How had the blossom reached Raizen, _why_ had it reached Raizen? The power in the blossom had been meant for _her_ not this little rat of a half-blood child.

The ball bounced off the wall and rolled back towards the children, neatly rolling over the girl; the boy seemed to take exception to that and seemed quite determined to get the ball _this_ time, despite the girl simply looking surprised and flopping over in an ungainly manner. His body wasn't developed enough yet for him to actively attack it but he managed to trap it between a table and chair leg, then pushed against it until it popped loud enough to startle him and the girl both. Raizen's laughter had both children turning towards him, though the girl's gaze was immediately arrested by the sight of Satori.

Silently, the demon melted away from the door; this was going to take care, planning, and a good bit of suicidal determination. Taking both wasn't feasible... but she didn't want both. Raizen could keep the boy, but the girl... Satori would have the girl whether he was willing to give her up or not.

* * *

Raizen's glance flicked to the door as Satori stepped away, and a sharp smile crossed his face; other demons had come and gone recently, old friends and allies that he had allowed to meet the babies—Kimiko had seemed particularly taken with Enki, and Enki had enjoyed holding both small children with a delicate touch few associated with the red-skinned demon. The fact that Satori, like Koku, had taken a long time to visit was not lost on him. Both women were still plainly furious about his choice of human lover.

Koku, however, had seemed to like the children; Satori's gaze had been far more predatory. He was going to have to tell Hokushin to keep an eye on her while she stayed within his walls, assuming his second hadn't already encountered her.

Yusuke crawled over to the older demon, and pulled his pants in a determined fashion until Raizen capitulated and picked him up. Kimiko remained in the middle of the room, watching the door with eyes that suddenly seemed like they could belong to a being much older. Then she looked over, saw that Yusuke was being held, and moved as fast as she could over to Raizen to demand her share of attention.

Demon children could age one of two ways; slow, taking centuries to mature, or fast, taking as little time as a few months. Taking their human nature into account, Raizen felt they would grow fast for demons, but slow for humans... though already they were both using micro-amounts of energy, a type that was not the reiki of humans or the yoki of demons. Yusuke's destruction of the ball had been with this strange sort of energy, and Raizen was looking forward to the day where he could train them both in earnest; fighting was in his blood, and theirs.

Yusuke was already trying to prove that, grabbing onto Raizen's long hair and pulling as hard as he could. When Raizen tried to disentangle the hair from chubby fists, he got bit for his pains. Given that both babies were—according to the two matrons who were teaching him—about eight human months, this was not as nice as it could be, and he growled at the boy.

Yusuke, to his surprise, growled back.

Raizen threw back his head and laughed, startling both children; only a quick shift of his weight kept Kimiko from tumbling out of his lap as she tumbled backwards, but then, he was a good bit faster than them.

"You _are_ going to be a fierce fighter," he said to Yusuke, more amused than annoyed now. "You've got your mother's temperament for certain."

Yusuke's fierce expression turned pleased, and Raizen wondered just how much the babies understood. When he glanced at Kimiko, he saw that she seemed to be studying him with that same anciently thoughtful air that she had been giving Satori.

The thought was worrying; a son he could handle... sort of. He could still remember what it was like to be raised by his own father. But a daughter?

Kimiko blinked at him solemnly, then yawned, and stuck her thumb in her mouth. On the other side, Yusuke was chewing on his hair, uninterested in a nap the way his sibling seemed to be. Carefully, Raizen shifted the small girl until she was laying along his arm, and this seemed to relax her further. Brown eyes slid closed, and her breathing steadied out, deepening until she was well and truly asleep. With care he passed her off to one of the matrons, who took her over to the cradle and settled her in, then took up a watchful position.

Yusuke looked up the minute Kimiko was out of sight, and Raizen smirked a little; twins were auspicious for many reasons, not the least being the occasional unfathomable bond that could be developed. It hadn't escaped his notice in the past few months that where one baby went, the other followed, or threw a fit if they were separated for too long. Working together, they would be a formidable pair, and he wondered just how much training they would absorb without meaning to.

When Yusuke started to fuss, Raizen stood, and went over to the cradle to show the boy that his sister was just fine, only sleeping. Yusuke made a demanding sound that was, at this point, quite familiar, and Raizen dumped him into the cradle rather unceremoniously.

Which was pretty much what the baby boy had been waiting for; sitting net to his sleeping sibling, he was quite happy to go back to wrestling with a cloth doll—it was going to need repairs again quite soon.

Raizen grinned down at them, then turned away; he could feel energy that was unfamiliar, and no doubt was some group of fools who wanted to test their luck against his recent rulings. Well that was fine; he would put a few people through the ground, and then they would stop harassing him.

* * *

Satori made herself wait for nightfall; it was much darker in Makai at that point, and she was going to need all the help she could get in terms of stealth. Raizen in particular needed to be dead asleep, or this was only going to result in her own death.

Her one piece of luck was that the nursery had a wide window to the outside... but it was well up there on the cliff face. It was going to take some careful and precise timing.

The longer she stayed, the less chances she would get; Raizen knew full well that she was still angry with him, and he would never trust her alone with the children without months of work, months she didn't have interest in wasting. No, that girl carried the power of the Wish Blossom in her, and that power was rightfully Satori's.

But she had lived within Raizen's palace long enough to know when the guards changed shift.

The rock face was easy enough for her to scale; clawed hands and feet made short work of the many cracks in the mountain face, and even demons failed to look up more often than not.

The matrons would be more trouble; matrons were fierce demons who cared for the young until they were old enough to care for themselves, and nothing, not even hypnosis, would cause a matron to leave the child they cared for.

It was too much trouble to figure out which one was specific to the girl; she was just going to have to kill them both and be done with it.

The matrons had taken positions on either side of the large cradle, and Satori could sense the weight of unused power in the room. One matron seemed to be sleeping, while the other was focused on the cradle to the exclusion of all else.

Silently she slipped into the room, then snapped forward in a move she knew she couldn't repeat, using leftover power from what she'd siphoned from the Wish Blossom to boost her speed and strength.

The matron at the cradle died, but the second surged to life the minute her companion was killed, loosing a hair-raising shriek that woke the babies, and called in the guard.

Satori lashed out in a desperately move, her blade biting deep into the matron's eyes and sending her back to block the doorway. The twins were wailing, and she could hear the shouting; forced to make a quicker getaway than she wanted, Satori swore as she lit two smoke bombs. One she tossed into the center of the room, along with a burst of powder that would scramble her scent, the other she flung over the downed-yet-alive matron into the hall beyond. Thick gray smoke started billowing up immediately, and she turned to the cradle.

The boy's shrieks were deafening, and she sardonically wished Raizen luck with raising him. Then she snatched up the girl and leaped for the window, even as Raizne's fighters stumbled into the room.

* * *

Raizen's fury filled the palace with a cold and bitter intent; demons had stepped lightly before, but now the place was almost empty, no one willing to draw the wrath of their king down on their head. Only the most loyal remained...and the matron who had not died; most others had scattered to the four winds rather than become Raizen's next target.

It didn't help that Yusuke's furious screaming could be heard echoing down all corridors. Deprived of his sister, the only person who could calm him was his father... but Raizen saw little need for that, when he himself was not calm.

One of his children had been kidnapped.

"Hokushin."

Hokushin twitched slightly, and Raizen allowed himself a moment of malicious amusement. This failure was on his head as his second in command, after all.

"Report."

The word was a roll of thunder in the room; Hokushin remained on one knee and didn't look up.

"The matron in charge of Kimiko is dead, my lord. The other did not get a good look at whoever was foolish enough to take her, and between the smoke and the powder... and the mass exodus upon discovery, we... have no trail to follow."

Raizen's snarl had Hokushin pressing further to the floor. He didn't want to kill the other demon, but there had to be a better answer than _that_.

"I've sent men out," he continued, no tremor in his voice; clearly he recognized how volatile Raizen's temper was at the moment. "They have items that belonged to Kimiko, and will be using those traces to try and find a lead."

The strange energy of his daughter might well lead them to her... but it could be years until she was strong enough _in_ that energy to do it on purpose.

"Get out."

Hokushin backed away carefully, and Raizen allowed himself another moment of malicious amusement at the speed the monk fled once he was out of sight. Then he surged to his feet and picked up the nearest stone table, throwing it through a wall and shattering both.

She had trusted him to protect their children.

And he had failed.

Kimiko was gone, and Yusuke's fury almost matched his sire's, even if his understanding did not.

Raizen had a suspect, of course; Satori. But where the woman had fled, he couldn't be certain, and there wasn't a chance in the hells that he was going to let her do it again. But it was i _nfuriating_ to not be able to join his own men in the search.

Another table joined the first, and then several chairs as well as Raizen sought to tame his fury long enough to go and calm his son.

This boy that was all he had left...when he was old enough, the training would begin in earnest, until Yusuke was strong enough to go out on his own and seek out his lost sibling.


	2. One

One

Living in a tower was mostly a boring life, Kimiko decided for what had to be the millionth time. The scenery never changed, and the days had a tendency to roll along into one another without a lot of notice. As a child, living in a tower for safety had seemed... Fun. Like an adventure. She had daydreamed about going and seeing more of Makai when she was older, when she could control her power better, when she was strong enough to not need the protection of these walls.

The demon who raised her, Satori, seemed inclined to think she would never be like that, and over the years, Kimiko had been worn down to that line of thought.

The tower she called home was a tall one; the only way in or out was the lone window at the top that she spent a lot of time staring out of, wondering what was beyond the sharp, craggy cliffs that surrounded her. The interior wasn't... terrible. She had a bedroom, a kitchen, a bathing chamber, and a small storage room that held ready-made food, and a large main room that she could do pretty much anything in. Most of the time she sat around and tried to use what she could of her fledgling abilities, but she could only get so far on thin ideas.

Her dreams provided her with more to do, but only if she was sleeping in time with her twin; Yusuke always had something new to say, some new skill to show off. Some of the things he was learning he tried to teach, but... well, her brother was many things. Teacher? Not one of them.

Dreams were the only way they could communicate, and they had been for as long as she could remember. He was always saying that once he was strong enough, he would come find her, come rescue her...

Kimiko shook her head and pushed black hair behind one ear. It was going to be a particularly dreary day if she started focusing on Yusuke's promised rescue. He'd been saying it ever since they were old enough to really talk and share ideas in the strange dreamspace, but there was always some caveat. Some reason he couldn't leave yet.

Their father. Raizen.

Satori had always proclaimed Raizen's cruel nature, his wanton disregard for lives featuring heavily in any story. But Yusuke's take on their father was different. He complained, sure, but Yusuke complained about everything, and thought living in a tower—while boring as hell—was a far sight better than the rigorous training regime he had. But while he complained, there was still that undercurrent of affectionate exasperation. Yusuke loved their father... even if he was terrible about saying it.

And if Yusuke cared about Raizen, he couldn't be all that bad. Could he? It was a constant question on her mind, but asking Yusuke always brought about the litany of complaints about being worked too damn hard.

Kimiko still didn't have the heart to tell him that he, at least, seemed to be getting strong. It was easier to listen to him, to let him color their dreamscape with people she didn't know, try to learn the skills he wanted her too, than to explain that Satori took every available erg of energy she could for Kimiko's own protection.

'A volatile power', Satori had called it, when Kimiko was old enough to understand. Almost ten years prior now... or was it twelve? Either way, Kimiko never really had enough of it to learn much.

She sighed a little despondently, looking towards the clock. Yusuke would be training right now, learning from Hokushin, or Raizen himself maybe. Satori wouldn't be there until evening. Napping might kill time, but she'd wake just as lonely, and it would be harder to sleep at night if she did.

Kimiko glanced down, then shuddered a little. Seventy, maybe eighty feet. She hated being this high up, even if it was to keep her safe. Safe from what? Only a few demons had ever found this place, and once Satori had found _them_...

She shuddered again, and pushed restlessly away from the window. Better not to think of those memories, of the bodies and bones, the blood, the pain...

Then, reluctantly, she dropped onto a stool and made herself remember. Blocking it out only led her to nightmares and power flares, and she didn't want Satori visiting more than was strictly necessary. Satori was _terrifying_ in the wrong mood; for all she had taken care of and raised Kimiko, Kimiko lived in dread of one day provoking that temper upon herself.

The first demon had been a little bit of nothing, and she'd hidden from him until she'd realized he was hurt; some facet of her power was unable to stand people in pain, and that more than anything had brought her out.

He hadn't been very nice after she'd healed him, and had tried to take things from the tower. Satori's arrival had seemed like a blessing until she'd thrown him out the window, to break his neck on the stone below.

Up until that point, Kimiko had never feared the demon woman. For all she'd snarled, Satori had never actually raised a hand to her. She hadn't ever really been anyone Kimiko could call _comforting_ , and certainly not mothering, but she had also never been so overtly violent.

The second time a demon had inadvertently come calling, Kimiko had healed them, then managed to make them leave. It hadn't altered anything; Satori had come in, tasted the air, and known somehow that Kimiko had helped someone.

She had been backed into a corner until she'd said which way the demon had flown, and Satori had flowed out the window and down the wall. Two days later she had returned with the demon's broken body, saying that Kimiko's healing had caused the damage. It had been a blatant lie, one of the first Kimiko could remember not believing, but it had been a terrifying prospect for a while.

The third demon had made it away safely, but returned, saying that she shouldn't be locked away. She had managed to visit three times before Satori laid a trap and killed her at the foot of the tower. The demon's scream still echoed in the worst of Kimiko's nightmares.

It wasn't until the fourth demon that Kimiko had finally had the courage to ask Satori if she couldn't just accept payment and let them leave. It had been Yusuke's idea, really, but she had never admitted to seeing her brother in her dreams; instinct had told her that Satori's rage would know no bounds if she learned this fact.

Satori had resisted the idea until the demon had proffered a well-cut gemstone in return for the healing... mostly because Satori herself had threatened to throw him out the window if he did not. The money from the stone had changed the tower from bare basics to modest luxury... and Kimiko had never asked where the rest of the money had gone, because what good would it do _her?_

The rules were simple; as long as Satori only saw the payment, not the patient, she would pretend that no one had been there. It was enough to keep Satori from killing anyone else... at least at the tower.

Kimiko sighed and ran her hands over her face. She was actually glad that visitors were rare; she could go years without seeing anyone other than Satori, and that was just fine with her. No one had to die, and as long as she could talk to her brother, everything was fine.

She just had to have patience.

* * *

"Again," Raizen barked.

"Ah, piss off," Yusuke said, between pants for breath. "Those were... my ribs you old... bastard."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't leave such giant gaping _holes_ in your guard," his father growled.

Yusuke made a rude gesture in response and continued to lay on his back, staring up at the red and gray sky of Makai. He couldn't remember ever having a day without training, without channeling his omnipresent anger inside into something productive. Growing stronger so that he could leave this place and find the sister that had been stolen away in the night.

Killing the demon who had taken her away had more than minor appeal too. Not just to him; Raizen's fury when learning the name of the demon had almost killed him when he'd said it.

True, Raizen had been repentant after, but still.

Lightning cracked across his field of vision and Yusuke struggled gamely to his feet after a moment more. Finding her, rescuing her, had been the reason Raizen had started his training young, taught him how to fight with his body as well as his energy.

But it had been two decades at this point. Yusuke was starting to wonder if Raizen would _ever_ think him ready to leave the 'protection' of Tourin palace to join the hunt that had never ended.

His ribs ached; that hit had broken at least four of them, and Raizen was still holding back. Yusuke knew he didn't have a demon's solid physiology, but it was still annoying as fuck to be treated like he was an ordinary _human_.

So he lunged in, lashing out with fists and feet, pulling on his energy until he was surrounded by a nimbus of blue light.

Raizen, the absolute bastard that he was, moved only fast enough to block and dodge. He wasn't even using his own energy, just his natural skills, honed by thousands of years of training. It was both infuriating and thrilling, constantly pitting himself against his father like this. He wondered how it would eventually feel when it was himself and Kimiko...

Raizen's fist came in and Yusuke flinched, anticipating another rib-breaking blow, when a klaxon sounded. The shockwave from the aborted punch still tossed Yusuke back several feet, but he managed to stay upright as Raizen turned his head towards the palace.

Yusuke winced a little, but listened hard.

"...that's the vault alarm," he said after a moment.

"Yes," Raizen agreed, seeming only mildly interested. "Seems there's a special brand of fool on the palace grounds today."

Yusuke could hardly argue with that assessment; getting into the vaults was easy. Getting out, well, that was when all the traps kicked in. Like the alarm, which released a special soundwave that could mess with the balance of any demon in the halls until it was shut off. There were pitfalls and gas traps, squash-walls and spikes, not to mention the fact that every open doorway in that corridor filled with an electrified barrier.

And even if someone _could_ get past all of those, Raizen's guards had recently been outfitted with a new type of siphon-arrow, based off of something Kimiko had brought up in one of their dream conversations. It would slowly, steadily, drain away the energy of whoever it was stuck in until they were too limp to move. Coupled with a tracking spell, someone hit by that would be wishing one of the traps had killed them; it was much faster.

After a moment, Raizen turned back to Yusuke, and the young half-demon braced himself as the sparring match was renewed. Yusuke managed to get his arms up in time, even as he wondered just what new information he was going to have to share with his sister when they met that night in dreams.

And then he had no more time to wonder; Raizen was attacking and he needed all his focus to avoid being pummeled into unconsciousness.

* * *

Kurama growled low in his throat as he flung Yomi past the last of the electrical barriers; the hot-headed idiot had once more managed to get himself into more trouble than this treasure was worth. Stealing from Raizen had been a plan _years_ in the making, and Yomi had ruined it in two seconds simply because he couldn't avoid getting into a fight. There had been barely enough time to grab the bags he'd filled—one with rurimaru stones, the other with bits of jewelry that had been tucked away into a corner of the room—before that damned alarm had gone off.

Avoiding most of the traps on the way out had been easy enough, but those shock-barriers had burned through all the protection amulets he'd made in the past twenty years. It was going to take months to make new ones... one more thing to add to the list of things to yell at Yomi for, once they were no longer being pursued.

Yomi, for his part, didn't look particularly remorseful. Not happy either, but not apologetic. Kurama found himself wondering just why he'd made this idiot his second...

As they ran through the palace grounds, Kurama left a trail of mold-cloud in his wake, to confuse sight and scent, though they didn't seem to be garnering much pursuit. They had reached the outer wall when the archers popped up, and Yomi froze.

With a furious growl, Kurama shoved Yomi out of the way, then twisted as the arrows came streaking at him. Only one hit... but one was enough. Kurama dropped in a heap outside the wall, and pushed Yomi's effort to help away.

"Get out of here, idiot," he snarled. "Before they reload! And _don't_ lead them back to the rest."

Yomi hesitated, looked up at the wall, then down at Kurama. Kurama snarled again, shoving to his feet, and bounded away, hoping that Yomi would actually do as he was told for the moment. The arrow in his shoulder wasn't lodged too deep yet, but he couldn't stop to care for it here.

He heard the twang of bowstrings again and flung a handful of seeds behind him, using his energy to make them burst out of the ground in a protective wall. He needed some distance before he could tend his injury, and getting shot again seemed counter-productive.

Kurama shot into the forest, bounding from tree to tree, and making his way towards the rocky cliffs not to far away; if the could get there, he knew some trails on which he could lose anyone Raizen might send out after him.

* * *

"So?" Raizen asked, angling his head slightly as he easily held Yusuke off the ground by his training shirt. Yusuke flailed a little, but it was mostly for show; he was more interested in hearing what had happened to the thieves than getting down.

"Two thieves, lord," Hokushin reported. "At least, two made it out. Three were caught in the traps and didn't survive long enough to be questioned. One was shot, while the other escaped unharmed. A... fox demon, from what the wall sentries said. They couldn't tell what the other was, but he was the one that wasn't carrying anything, so it seemed pointless to try and pursue him."

"And the fox?"

"Was hit with one of the arrows inspired by Lord Yusuke."

Yusuke made a faintly strangled-annoyed sound. It had been _Kimiko's_ idea, he'd just passed it along out of boredom. But then, of the demons in the courtyard, only Raizen knew that he had such a tie to his twin. It was a strategic thing, or so his old man had claimed, to keep such news a secret.

It wasn't like it came in handy often anyways, but still.

"Good. Let him tire himself out running away then; we can pick up the body in a few days. What did he try and make off with?"

"...unfortunately, lord, the fox did make off with two small bags." Hokushin looked away briefly as Raizen growled. "He carries at least twenty rurimaru stones and... several pieces of jewelry that's been stored for Lady Kimiko's eventual rescue."

Yusuke braced himself and was not disappointed; Raizen threw him at the opposite wall as he whirled on Hokushin, energy aura lighting the entire courtyard brighter than the sun for a fraction of a second. He managed to rebound off the wall instead of sinking into it, but it took a _lot_ of his energy.

"What. Pieces?" Raizen growled.

Hokushin did not wilt under the pressure of Raizen's energy, though Yusuke was willing to bet that it was only because Raizen was taking it easy on him. Anything related to his missing sister was very touchy, and Raizen tended to react... _poorly_ when something brought her up.

"The... bracers, two necklaces, and the upper arm guards."

Yusuke bristled a little himself; he'd spent several nights in their dreamspace trying to figure out how the hell he was going to get that sort of thing to fit her. The bracers especially were a matched set, damnit!

Wait...

"...those bracers that have the tracking spell on em?" Yusuke demanded. "And the blood seal?"

"Yes, Lord Yusuke."

Raizen looked startled, then thoughtful at the reminder. It had been a bit of insurance, and even if Yusuke _didn't_ like Raizen knowing where he was all the time, he wore his for just that reason. They had even come in handy a time or two when he'd been pissed off at the old man and then gotten lost trying to get back.

Not that he would _ever_ admit to _anyone_ that he had been waiting to be found.

"They won't be broken down easily," Raizen mused, then smirked. "And any fool that tries to wear them will have an exceptionally bad day."

Yusuke smirked in agreement; the blood seal was a particularly nasty piece of work he'd come across when forced to study—something he absolutely abhorred, and only occasionally did anyways—that limited a piece of jewelry, armor, or weapon to a bloodline. Anyone not of that bloodline who tried to utilize whatever the seal was on would find their blood boiling in their veins.

He'd made the mistake of describing it to Kimiko who had been utterly appalled, and for several nights after hadn't actually spoken much to him at all. But eventually he'd gotten her to grudgingly agree that it just meant additional protection on priceless treasures.

Eventually.

Mostly right now it just meant that some idiot thief was about to have a _really_ bad day.

* * *

His energy shouldn't have melted away so fast; he was far stronger than he alluded to, but something was draining his power, forcing him to divert to a path he didn't know so well, hoping to find shelter at the end of it.

Kurama could feel his pursuers still, though they were farther back than they'd started; his ojige might've had something to do with that. Pity he hadn't been able to stay and watch it devour anyone. The resulting energy might have been worth the effort...

Then again, he'd just stolen from the acknowledged king of Makai. Probably not.

The path crumbled away abruptly, instability hidden int the growing darkness, and Kurama skidded down a steep incline, keeping his feet with some effort as stone and dirt cascaded along with him. He ended up in a desolate sort of pocket valley, a huge crater with no plants around for miles; the only feature in existence was a tall tower almost immediately in the middle. He couldn't see a door at its base, only a single window up at the top, just under the sloping roof.

Well, it was better than no shelter at all, and maybe if he could get this damn _arrow_ out, he could stop being so... exhausted.

He sprinted for the tower, and leaped, trusting his instincts; one stone protruded out just slightly, his fingers found it, and one foot found a stone below to brace on and throw himself farther up. Up and up, until he reached the window and was inside, almost falling onto the wooden floor as his energy stuttered.

Scent assaulted him instantly; not the dust and mold he'd half-expected, but ash and recently baked food. Cleaning supplies, drying and dying plants, and a strange twist of energy flavored the air that he couldn't immediately identify.

He looked up from his wary crouch and saw her then. A girl... No. She had a matured form, though it was certainly much younger than his own. A nearby crystal light cast more than enough light to see by, and he found himself briefly caught by purple eyes that flickered with emotions too swiftly to name. Then her gaze shifted, and whatever held him in place snapped. He lurched to her feet, readying an energy whip; if she tried to attack him, he would cut her down.

"...you're hurt."

It was a soft voice, almost hoarse as if it didn't see much use. Her eyes flicked between him and the nearby clock, and unease crossed her face, followed by a tired sort of determination. After a moment she pulled out a stool from beneath the table, and pushed it towards him with her foot.

"Sit. I can fix that."

He stared at her, keeping his expression coldly neutral, and after a moment she made an exasperated sound.

"Put that whip _down_ , and sit," she snapped, propping her hands on her hips. "Before you fall over, or worse. Unless you think that arrow will pull itself out?"

He sniffed delicately, taking in the scents of the air once more. A healer demon wasn't rare, but something about her wasn't... demon. Her energy was strange, seemingly both weak and yet carrying a hidden depth.

Slowly, the energy whip still coiled in his fingers, he moved over to the chair. This seemed to satisfy her, and she went to the sink, flicking loose dark hair over her shoulder as she moved. He watched her warily, keeping his breath steady as she filled up a bucket of water and started pulling pinches of plants from the bundles along her cabinet. He recognized all of them, and his own native skill with such things told him she was making some type of cleanser. But a bucket? That seemed like overkill...

She carried the bucket over and set it down next to him, then moved into another room, returning after a moment with a small knife and some strips of leather. She used one on her hair, making an impatient sound as several strands seemed inclined towards not obeying, then moved towards him with care.

"I need to tie your hair out of the way. I'd let you do it, but moving that shoulder is a bad idea."

"Fine," he replied, keeping his tone even.

After all, if she tried to kill him, he still had his whip...

"...you're just going to tire yourself out even more if you maintain that," she said, moving around behind him and gathering his hair in her hands. "I don't want to kill you. I want to help you. But..." and he heard resignation as well as humor enter her voice, "then again, I shouldn't ask strange demons to trust me, should I?"

"No."

Her hands were gentle, and there was something soft about her scent. Try as he might, he couldn't see how she would profit from him dying here... and after a moment he had to admit that the whip was more of a drain right now than he could afford.

He felt her jump a little when he dismissed the weapon, and felt a brief flick of chilly amusement. As long as she was off-balance, he could work with that.

Her hands very carefully probed the area around the injury, and she delicately lifted the hakama; trying to get a better look, or so he assumed.

"...I believe I'm going to have to ruin your hakama," she said after a moment, sounding faintly apologetic. "Sorry. The arrow is in pretty deep."

He just nodded slightly, and she kept one hand on his back, which allowed him to feel her turn towards the table where she had left the knife. He tensed slightly, and his fingers curled, prepared to call his whip again... but the blade cut only cloth, and he heard her faintly indrawn breath.

Never a good sign from a healer.

"...I see you went and pissed off King Raizen's guard," she said after a long minute. "This arrow is a new, insidious weapon. What did you do?"

"Is that the price of this healing?"

She was silent for several moments, then leaned around his shoulder to study his face. Kurama kept his expression neutral, though he could easily read the speculation on her features.

"No. Just curiosity," she said after a moment, pulling back. "It's not like I can tell anyone, though. I'm tr...stuck up here."

"Jump down," he suggested, lacing his voice heavily with sarcasm.

"No thanks. Not suicidal. This will feel weird, but I'm going to numb out your shoulder so I can get the arrow out."

His wariness was starting to melt under her frank words, and as it did, curiosity was growing. A demon, trapped in a tower? What was the point of that?

Abruptly he felt the whole of his shoulder go numb and he growled slightly, threateningly.

"Oh stop it," and now she just sounded impatient. "The arrow is in deeper than I thought; I have to cut into your shoulder to get it out. You're not disabled."

Unsaid but heavily implied was that she wanted to insult him, and he wondered just what had brought about that change. He turned his head a little, trying to watch, but she reached up and turned his head back; the move was so audacious that he allowed it... he hadn't been able to see anything anyways.

He felt a slight pressure, then a faint wrench as she pulled the arrow out; immediately the drain on his energy ceased. The arrow was dropped into the bucket she'd prepared, and to his surprise it burst into fragments. She jumped too, and swore.

"Well, at least I know he listened to me," she muttered, her voice plainly pitched to a level she thought he wouldn't hear. She was wrong, but he decided against commenting on it; it only piqued his curiosity further, however.

She put both hands on his back this time, and there was a faint feeling of warmth, followed by a return of true feeling, a tingling in his shoulder.

"There. All done."

She moved around to the side again, and Kurama moved his arm slowly. There was no pain, and more importantly, no draining energy. When he glanced at her sidelong, she seemed somewhere between pleased and anxious, her gaze flicking between him, the clock, and the window.

"...waiting for soldiers?" he asked, slowly standing.

"Wh... no!" She focused on him briefly, then seemed to realize something and swore again. "No, it's... my caretaker comes soon. She doesn't like it when people find me, and if she catches them... Look, just... you stole something from Lord Raizen. Several somethings, if those pouches are any indication. Give me something, and then we're done."

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, Satori _will_ find you," she said, her tone and expression turning desperate. "Please, just.."

He heard the faintest sound, claws and nails on stone; apparently the girl heard it to, or perhaps sensed the energy. Whatever the reason, she grabbed him by the wrist and pulled with enough force to convince him that she wasn't playing any sort of game with him. She truly was desperately panicked at the thought of this 'Satori' finding him in her living space.

So Kurama allowed her to pull him up the short flight of stairs to the room beyond.

"Stay in here and stay _silent_ ," she said insistently. "Lay down and pretend to be unconscious, because if I can't convince her you need to rest, she'll throw you from the tower and she won't stop pursuing you until you're _dead_."

The bed was about two feet too small to be lain on sensibly, so he pilfered the blankets from it and made himself a nest at the far end of the room. She closed the door hastily behind, not as tightly as it should have been, and he heard her patter back down the stairs. Mostly closing his eyes, he feigned slumber, and kept his ears pricked.

He heard a light step, and felt the aura of another demon enter the tower. Old, he sensed instantly. Old and powerful. Not as powerful as he was, but he could see why the girl would be afraid of reprimand; her own power came nowhere near this demon.

"Kimiko... You've had a visitor?"

"Y-Yes, Satori."

"And did they pay?"

"N...not yet," and the girl's—Kimiko's—voice was laced with unease. "He was unconscious before I could get to that."

There was silence, and then very deliberate footfalls headed for the stairs. He closed his eyes the rest of the way and suppressed his own yoki; let this demon think he was easy prey and he would show it otherwise.

The door creaked slightly, and he remained feigning sleep, despite the overwhelming urge to look. After a moment it snapped closed, and the footsteps retreated.

"Very well. He is not worth the effort."

Kurama didn't have to hear the demon say the words 'for now', they hung in the air as a threat. Both for him _and_ for the girl.

"Get payment in the morning, and ensure he is gone before I return."

"Yes, Satori."

"And since you seem to have the energy to heal an injury, you must have some to spare. I will have it now."

"...yes, Satori."

Kurama heard a faintly sibilant chant, and something in the tower seemed to shift; a power flickered and flared, then seemed to fade out, while the demon's aura took a swift jump up.

"Eat. Then rest. I will return tomorrow."

He didn't hear Kimiko say anything, but he did catch the sounds of this Satori slipping back out the window. He half-opened his eyes again, though he waited a few moments more before going over to the door and slowly pulling it open.

He now had a _great many_ questions he wanted to ask this strange woman. And he would trade treasure for answers.

* * *

Kimiko knelt on the floor, trembling and head spinning as she tried to catch her breath. Satori's displeasure still rang in her ears, and it had echoed as well in how ruthlessly she'd been stripped of excess energy. Usually she wasn't left _this_ badly off...

But at least she'd prevented Satori from killing the strange fox thief. That was something. Maybe not a lot, considering he'd stolen from her father and brother, but something.

Decidedly more vulnerable now, Kimiko reached out for the near stool, and used it to try and pull herself to her feet. She _had_ to get payment now, and get him to leave. She didn't want to risk Satori's return, or the wrath that would follow...

She tripped on the hem of her skirt, and was heading for a collision with the edge of the table when a hand caught her upper arm and pulled her upright; his other hand settled at her low back when she stumbled, and she involuntarily glanced up, feeling heat rise in her cheeks.

He was, perhaps, the first demon she'd met that looked so much like... her. Well, except for the ears and the tail, but still. Soft skin, long hair, even clothing that was somehow ordinary. For a moment she caught herself wondering just how soft his ears might feel.

"Ah... thank you," she said meekly, trying to move away with more haste than was probably polite. With her energy so low, she admittedly had no means of stopping him from doing whatever he wanted right now.

He released her... which didn't really help, to be honest. It was going to take more than a few moments to recover from the energy drain, and standing where there was no support was just asking for trouble. She tried to lock her knees, but that didn't last more than a few moments before she was listing backwards.

He caught her again, and this time dumped her onto the stool with a sound of faint annoyance.

"...sorry..."

She ducked her head a little, and tried not to feel awkward; a feat easier said than done. What she _ought_ to be doing was cleaning up. Tossing the used water—stupid of her to break that arrow, it could have led them right here, she could have _left_ —cleaning her knife, maybe making herself some tea and heating up something to eat...

A hand entered her field of view, and she flinched a little, then blinked in surprise as he caught up the handle of the bucket, and lifted it.

"Down the drain or out the window?"

"Ah..." she looked up, and saw only cool neutrality. "Drain. Please. Thank you..."

He just nodded, and took the bucket to the sink, pouring it carefully into the metal basin. There was a faint hissing noise as it went down through the pipes, and she managed a tiny smile; at least that would keep them cleared for the next little while.

He set the bucket down on the floor, then started moving around her kitchen, picking up the kettle, and going through her cupboards. She watched, more curious than anything else, then stared when he simply _produced_ a flower and crushed it between his hands, catching the bits deftly in her small stone mortar.

"You... you don't have t-"

"I have some questions," he interrupted, flicking her a cool glance. "I will trade answers for care."

"...I can't do that," she said, a little regretfully. "If I don't have something material to give Satori, she'll track you and just.. take what you have. After she kills you."

"I will give you something material," he replied, flicking a finger lightly and casting a seed into the bowl. "And you will answer my questions."

The way he said it, like it was a _given_ that she would agree, roused that faint streak of ire in her that she had originally thought only Yusuke could provoke. Certainly she never could find it when Satori was around...

And yet... a chance to talk to someone. Someone _new_ , someone not her brother... Could she really pass that up?

Kimiko bit her lip indecisively. There was time, she finally decided. Yusuke never slept early if he could help it, and Satori wouldn't be back until morning, if not later. Maybe if she could pass on the good word to Yusuke, she could somehow convince this thief to go back to the palace and then lead her father's people here.

"I'll answer what I feel is safe to answer," she replied. "And I get to ask questions too."

For a moment, she thought she saw a relaxation of his face, the slightest hint of a smile. She looked away quickly, hands clenching on her skirt; she couldn't afford to get attached. Not again. Not when she couldn't be sure that he would do what she wanted...

"You may ask first," he said, bringing over a cup and offering it.

Kimiko eyed it warily, and with a tiny smirk that was nothing more than pure irony, he took a sip of it for himself. It wasn't terribly reassuring, not if he could create plants from nothing, but that he'd done so as a way to try and reassure her...

She took a cautious sip herself, and felt energy spread through her body. Her trembling eased, and it was easier to keep herself upright.

It was also the most _vile_ thing she'd ever tasted, and she swore at him for a good minute.

"Drink all of it," he said pointedly when she stopped for breath. "It helps with energy drain."

Unfortunately, she couldn't argue about _that._ She bolted the rest of the drink, and thought she caught that faint smile again as she tried to remember how to _breathe_.

"W-who _are_ you?" she gasped out, trying to convince her stomach that no, it had not just been abused, really.

"I am the yoko, Kurama," he replied, plucking the cup from her nerveless fingers and taking it to the sink to wash. "A thief, as you may have surmised by this point."

She nodded a little; he'd been shot by one of the arrows she'd suggested to Yusuke as a deterrent. There was no way that was an accident. Raizen might be cold, but he wouldn't waste something that took a lot of effort to make.

"I'm Kimiko," she said after a moment, watching him with more curiosity than anything else. "I guess I'm a healer?"

He was moving around her kitchen again, pulling out some of her stored vegetables, and the meat that hadn't yet gone bad. Was he going to make a stew? How did thieves know how to cook? After a moment though, that one seemed like a silly question; logically everyone knew the basics of cooking... she did, even though she wasn't what anyone could call a _good_ cook.

Granted, there were the demons who ate their food raw too...

"Why'd you steal from Lord Raizen?" she asked after a moment.

A slight shrug was her response, and the slightest twitch of his tail.

"Rurimaru stones are worth quite a bit."

"Rurimaru stones are easy to trace," she countered. "Even if you go to another territory, the minute word gets out that you _have_ them you're going to be painting a giant bullseye on your back. And not just his people will be after you."

"For someone trapped in a tower, you seem... conversant about such things."

Kimiko grimaced; while she was used to censoring herself before Satori, it hadn't occurred to her that she might need to do the same here. Of course, now that it was brought up, how did she answer?

"...I have unconventional contacts," she finally said.

It even had the benefit of being true.

"Did you really walk away with two bags of stones?"

"I ran," he corrected, and she _thought_ she heard a touch of irritation in his tone. "But no. One bag holds the rurimaru I gathered; the other, some jewelry discarded in the vault."

Jewelry would be easier for Satori to pull apart and sell. Safer too. Given how much Satori seemed to despise Raizen, a rurimaru stone would just be _asking_ for trouble.

After a moment more, Kimiko got up, and made her way to the kitchen to try and help. She was still a _little_ wobbly, but whatever had been in that drink had helped. Besides, it was _her_ kitchen, even if she wasn't the best cook. Making him do all the work seemed... rude.

"Could I look at that when we're done? Jewelry is easier for Satori to sell."

Kurama nodded slightly, and silently passed her the cutting board and a knife. Cutting up vegetables was easy enough to do, while still holding a conversation.

"You didn't answer the question," she pointed out after a moment, concentrating on the vegetable she was chopping. "Ruruimaru worth isn't an answer."

There was a slight sound that she decided, after a quick glance up, was amusement.

"Wealth is always an answer."

"It's a stupid one," she said frankly. "Especially when it comes to F.. to Lord Raizen. He has traps, and trackers, soldiers that would happily take your face off when they catch you."

Yusuke had certainly waxed eloquent on it before...

"It was an acceptable risk. It went smoothly enough until someone got impatient."

He wasn't going to tell her, she realized, frowning a little. Well fine. Wealth was still a stupid answer.

"...it's impressive that you only got shot the once. And made it out at all."

She glanced up in time to catch a flicker of a shrug, and had to make herself not lean away as he reached over and took the cutting board from her, adding the vegetables to the softly bubbling pot.

It really wasn't fair that he was both intimidating and attractive... But no. She didn't dare allow herself to even _think_ of that.

"I am very good at what I do."

After a minute, Kimiko decided that he certainly had to be; breaking into the palace was stupid on a _bad_ day. Stealing from it was almost suicidal.

She did her best not to hover, but it was always fascinating to watch someone who was actually good at working in the kitchen. She could cook, sure, but only simple things; even then she had to actually pay attention to what she was doing. He seemed to be adding herbs and spices with nothing more than a cursory glance.

Oddly, the silence didn't feel thick or awkward. It felt... comfortable. Like she could relax into it, and not have to be afraid of reprisal. She could speak, or not, as she choose, and either option would be acceptable.

"...I thought you had question too?"

He turned slightly, and raised an eyebrow.

"Have you no more?"

Kimiko shrugged a little, and looked away. The less she looked at him, the more she could pretend that this wasn't having an affect on her already.

"I don't know what to ask, and I'm... not used to visitors. I'm bad at this."

Again that faint sound of amusement. It made heat creep up into her face as embarrassment coiled in her stomach.

"Why do you live in a tower?"

The question made her blink, and she looked up involuntarily. Pinned by pale yellow eyes, she found herself unable to fumble for the answer she had used in the past, and instead found honesty.

"Because I can't live anywhere else. It's...it's not safe."

This answer seemed to annoy him, or maybe the frown was thoughtful, she couldn't tell.

"Why?"

"I...that's..." She swallowed a little. "I can't control my power. If it gets too strong, bad things happen. That's... that's what Satori says, anyways."

"Hm. You seemed to control it well when you were tending to me."

"I didn't have a lot, so it wasn't worrying," she replied, suddenly able to look away and doing so quickly. "Healing is... I don't know, instinctive? I can't really say how I do it, I just... do. It's about the only thing I'm really good at. Satori keeps me here to prevent any accidents, and helps take the power from me when it gets to be too strong."

"You trust this Satori?"

"I don't have a choice..." And despite herself, the words were bitter. "If I don't do it the way she says, she could leave and never come back. I certainly don't have a way out on my own..."

"Towers do not, as a rule, have only a window."

"This one does," she sighed a little. "If there was another exit, I'd have found it by now. It's not like I _enjoy_ being stuck here."

Kimiko had tried. She'd tapped walls, pushed stones, even tried prying up floorboards, though she'd given that up as a lost cause early on. The only way she'd found that was out was the window, and she had neither the strength, nor the courage, to try that.

In need of something to do while he stood in the kitchen, she went and fetched her knife so that she could clean and sharpen it; it got more use as a kitchen implement than a healing one, but she liked to keep it well-maintained.

* * *

Kurama watched her with one eye as she moved around restlessly; there was much she wasn't saying, but with what she was, he was building a small understanding. Kimiko had a unique power, one she knew next to nothing about, and instead of being trained, Satori was simply taking the power away.

She was almost refreshingly honest, and painfully easy to read. She wouldn't last long in Makai on her own as it was, so perhaps it was _better_ that she was trapped in this tower.

And yet she also seemed to have an understanding of Raizen's palace, and people, far more intimate than any rumors had proved. How was she getting that sort of information? She had already indicated that having people visit her was a recipe for trouble...

Kurama's faint frown deepened slightly as Kimiko stood at the sink, carefully washing the knife she'd used on him. He was getting answers, but they seemed to be leading to more questions.

"How long have you lived here?" he asked.

"My whole life. I think. Y..."

She stopped abruptly, shaking her head a little.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's..." she glanced at him,then dropped her eyes, clearly changing her words as he scrutinized her. "I won't answer that."

He allowed himself a tiny sigh, and decided to try tackling that line of questioning later. She had almost allowed something vital to slip, and the fact that she had caught herself was a little irritating. Given enough time, he could probably seduce the answers out of her, but watching her go from relaxed to guarded at somewhat random patches made her harder to predict.

"Very well. Tell me about Satori, then."

That clearly surprised her, and he allowed a small shrug. If she wouldn't talk about herself, perhaps learning about her caretaker would provide him with more pieces to the puzzle.

"I... I'm not sure what you want me to say," she said after a moment, her tone puzzled. "She's raised me since I was a baby."

"You seem to fear her," Kurama replied.

"...well, yes. She...she's not _nice_. But I think she's tried to protect me, in her own way. She visits every few days, which is probably the only reason I'm still even slightly sane..."

He watched her shiver, and the look in her eyes was momentarily bleak; clearly Satori had left her alone for longer than that once before. Probably in a bid to make Kimiko more dependent, which appeared to have worked at least moderately well.

"...that said, sanity is probably a matter of opinion," she added after a moment, shaking her head a little.

There wasn't much he could say to that.

"She takes your power from you?"

Kimiko nodded, and he watched as she pulled out a stone and started methodically sharpening the blade. There was no malicious intent, she just seemed to be maintaining it, doing something with her hands.

"I don't really understand it," she admitted after a moment. "But I don't think _she_ really understands it either, so there's not much chance of being trained how to use it."

"And yet she takes it from you to use for herself."

She blinked, and looked uneasy for a moment.

"I... don't know what she does with the power. It... I think it changes somehow, when she takes it." Kimiko made a faintly frustrated sound, then shook her head. "I don't know. I'm not trained."

Which was a disservice to her, certainly, but a way for Satori to keep her in check. Satori was clever then, as well as brutal.

Kurama checked the stew, then found bowls and spoons, and brought the food over to the table. Kimiko carefully tested the edge of the knife by nipping it through a few strands of her own hair, nodded a little, then sheathed the knife and put it and the sharpening stone away.

"...thank you, for this," she said once she had retaken her seat.

"Eat," he replied, and proceeded to do the same, using the silence to study her.

For a demon—perhaps a half-demon? It really was difficult to tell—raised in virtual isolation, she was not what he would have expected. She was not shy, despite being heavily apologetic, and she wasn't terribly diffident either. Nervous, certainly, but there was boldness to her, an odd strength that seemed to come out more if he presented his words as a challenge instead of a query.

And she had that odd knowing of Raizen's palace, weapons, and people. She had broken that arrow without much effort, a weapon he hadn't even been aware existed. Which was on his informants, something he was going to have to express displeasure about.

He was, as much as he disliked the idea, going to have to return to Raizen's territory and do some listening. Something here was skewed just sideways enough that he wanted answers. Why lock away a girl in a tower? Surely training her in the ability to control the power would have been far more beneficial; healing, proper healing, was not a skill many demons could, or often chose to, learn. She could easily make a small fortune if she knew how to tend to people properly.

Then he blinked a little, and wondered when he'd decided that she was worth getting more information on. She wasn't some treasure locked away in a tower that he could steal...

Was she?

That would bear investigating.

"Ah...K...Kurama?"

He glanced at her, and cataloged the uncertain expression; not afraid, just nervous.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay to travel through the night?"

He raised an eyebrow slightly, and she flicked her glance away again. Shy, he thought. Lonely for certain.

"I mean, if you want to stay, that's fine. We just have to have you not be here by the time Satori arrives..."

"Does she ever arrive in the mornings?"

Kimiko looked pensive, then shook her head slowly.

"Not lately. Early afternoon to evenings, on the days she does come."

Staying was the safer option; he didn't know these mountains well, and the last thing he needed was to find another cliff to fall down. It could also give him the chance to get more information out of her that she might only speak of in the dark.

Or perhaps...

Admittedly, he hadn't really been exerting himself that much for the information. She seemed to _want_ to talk, but was also holding herself back, even if she couldn't conceal her emotions very well. If he exuded perhaps a little more charm, he could gain something very profitable.

"Then there's time."

She blinked at him, her expression uncertain. He gave her a very slow smile, and smirked internally when she flushed and looked away hastily. Oh yes. Physical attraction he could work with. Trapped up here until maturity, with no chances to test the waters? Did she even _know_ what she might be missing out on?

She pushed away from the table abruptly, and just from scent alone he knew he'd flustered her. Good. If she was thinking about her attraction, she wasn't thinking about her answers.

"I'll... You can have my room," she said, not looking at him as she took her bowl over to the sink to wash. "I guess the bed's too small, but you can use the blankets and-"

He moved quietly, a skill heavily beneficial to being a thief, until he was standing directly behind her, and simply let his hands curve on her hips. She stilled immediately, and he felt her shiver. Her hair was still tied back, and he leaned into to plant a kiss on the exposed skin of her neck.

It made her jump, dropping the bowl into the metal sink with a clatter.

"W...what are you... doing?" she squeaked.

He simply trailed a hand lightly up her side, so that he could tip her head and kiss her.

* * *

 _Smut version over on AO3. Because friggin KURAMA. I stg..._


	3. Two

Two

"Seriously, sis?"

Kimiko glared at her brother, arms crossed defensively over her chest.

"Shut up. I didn't even think about it until _after_ I'd already shattered the arrow," she retorted. "Besides, it wouldn't have tracked me, it would only have tracked him, so me keeping it would have been pointless."

"Still!" Yusuke made a faintly disgusted sound. "You could have tried keeping him there longer!"

"No way. I'm already pushing my luck letting him stay _this_ long," and she shivered a little. "Satori's already annoyed about it. Besides, there's no point. I broke the arrow, it can't track anyone or anything."

"Wait, he's _still_ there?!"

Shit. She hadn't meant to admit to that... But there was no taking the words back, and they had both learned that lying in the dreamscape was impossible. A lie altered the look of their misty world until the truth came out.

"Ah... yes?"

"And you're _sleeping_? Are you _insane?!_ "

"...Yuu, I'm pretty sure he's not interested in killing me," she said a little dryly. Then sighed, trying not to feel despondent. "He'll be gone in the morning anyways... I did have a point to this, by the way, if you'd stop freaking out for longer than ten seconds?"

"You've got a fox-thief in your tower and you want me to calm the fuck _down?!_ "

Yusuke looked so outraged that Kimiko couldn't help but smile affectionately. They had never met in person, only in dreams, and yet here he was worrying about her, even though he couldn't get to her.

"Yes, actually. You getting upset won't change the fact that he _is_ here, and I want you to do me a favor."

Yusuke growled a little, then threw himself down on a long bench that shaped itself from the mist for that express purpose.

"Fine, what?"

"I'm going to ask him to return to the palace, or at least the outskirts of it. To see you. He could lead you here, Yusuke, but you have to tell everyone they _can't_ kill him. Or hurt him."

He scoffed a little.

"Pretty sure Hokushin would like to kick him in the face."

"Ask me if I care," Kimiko snapped. "Look, I know there's no guarantee, and that asking this is going to put me in debt to him. But it's the _best_ chance we've got. He might be strong enough to evade Satori and make it all the way there!"

"And what if he doesn't, Sis?"

"I don't know!" and she tossed her hands up into the air. "Damnit Yuu, it's a _chance_ , okay?! If I don't get out of this tower, even _with_ these dreams and Satori's visits, I might just give up! That'd solve all the problems, now wouldn't it?!"

"Whoa, whoa, easy..."

Yusuke held up his hands, clearly startled by her vehemence, and she rubbed her face tiredly, turning away. She heard him get up, and after a moment, a comforting arm rested on her shoulders.

"All right. I'll tell Pops, and get Hokushin and the Monkettes to pass along the word that the fox-thief isn't someone to attack. And hey, you should get a couple things from him, if he's still got em. He stole your bracers right outta the vault, and they've got the beacon on em, y'know? We could use that instead of letting fur-face be your way out."

"If Satori sees those, I'm as good as dead," Kimiko replied, leaning into her brother's comfort. "There's no way she won't know what they are. Besides, it has to be something she can take apart and sell in pieces, and those definitely aren't it. I can get him to bring them back, if nothing else... Or. Well, I can point it out and ask."

Yusuke sighed a little, then ruffled her hair; she punched him lightly with a slight scowl.

"So what's he look like anyways? Hokushin was light on the details."

Kimiko flicked her fingers lightly, building up an image of Kurama quickly. Yusuke whistled slightly.

"Damn. Tall bastard, huh?"

"Mmm... I might be over-estimating..."

But it felt right. The top of her head just level with Kurama's shoulder, the long silver hair, ears, tail... Yusuke studied the image for a moment, then nodded.

"Right. I'll try remembering, assuming the old man doesn't yank me out of bed again."

Kimiko grimaced a little, nodding; abrupt awakenings could shred the memory of the dreamspace just as easily as it shredded dreams.

"If you would go to sleep at a reasonable time, you might get kicked awake less often," she pointed out, not for the first time.

"Where's the fun in that?" Yusuke retorted, grinning at her.

She rolled her eyes in tolerant humor, shaking her head slightly.

"What else is going on for you?" she asked, easily steering the subject away from her thief.

"Uh... Enki and crazy Koku are supposed to drop by this week, I think, along with the rest of Raizen's friends. Apparently there's some kinda big fuss with something Reikai's trying to do, and they're all gonna sit around and bitch about it."

"What's happening, do you know?"

"Not really," Yusuke shrugged a little. "Something about kicking demons out of Ningenkai, I think. Pops doesn't seem to care much. A couple of the other 'kings' are bitching about it, but they'll fall in line, I bet."

"Father is the most powerful active demon right now," she agreed. "It's probably for the best, if you think about it... The more trouble they cause in Ningenkai, the worse things seem to get for you guys. And one would think the humans deserve a chance to not have demons in their faces all the time."

Yusuke snorted a little, dismissive, derisive, and agreement all in one sound. It made her smile again, and she pushed him gently, fondly.

"Still haven't been allowed to go?"

"I got him to agree that I could go if I let someone 'supervise'," Yusuke replied with another snort. "But I don't get to pick who, so I'm still stuck here."

It was moments like this where she found herself wondering who was right about Raizen; Satori with her vitriolic, scathing commentary, or Yusuke, sarcastic, but plainly appreciative of Raizen's protection.

Well, plainly to her eyes. It would probably be difficult for someone else to see beneath that obnoxious facade he liked to hold.

"But it sounds like you'll at least get to visit, which is what you wanted, right?"

"I guess..."

"Ningenkai's not as dangerous as here. Maybe he's using it as a sort of stepping stone," she offered after a moment. "If you can be safe there, you can... I don't know, be let out more here?"

"Considering the way he slings me around in training, I'm pretty sure I could _handle_ anything Makai throws at me," Yusuke snorted derisively. "He's just being paranoid."

"...well, he's got reason to be."

Yusuke had the grace to wince a little, then slung his arm around her again.

"Ah, c'mon Sis. Maybe you're right. I'll bug him about it."

Kimiko smiled a little, and hugged him back. Maybe she didn't understand their sire like Yusuke did, but she found it hard to hate him like Satori so clearly did.

"Okay. You do that."

* * *

Kurama slept for a few hours, waking early, well before the young woman he held. Her breathing remained slow and steady as he eased himself away from her, then shifted her to lay properly on the bed, among a nest of blankets and pillows. She would feel the exertions of the previous evening far more than he would, and hopefully she would remain unconscious for a while longer as he mulled over what to do.

Raizen's long-missing daughter. Wasn't that a pretty puzzle?

He dressed in the dark, then slipped out of the room; dawn was not yet lighting the sky, and he wanted at least that small bit of light before he set out.

What, he wondered, collecting the forgotten dishes from the night before, was a good way to profit from this? Simply going back was out, as no doubt he would be shot on sight. The wall guards might not have gotten the _best_ look at him, but they had undoubtedly seen enough.

But an anonymous tip would net him no reward. And he had several questions yet unanswered. The role of Satori, for one. That strange energy Kimiko carried and seemed to be able to gift without conscious control, was another, though she clearly had no answers on that herself.

He could _possibly_ convince her to come with him. But that held its own problems; she had lived inside the tower all her life, and would have neither the muscles nor the stamina to cover long distances the way he could. And he wasn't too sure he wanted to take her to the main palace anyways; some part of him wanted to keep her wholly for himself.

Which meant trying to bring her to his group was out for a while too. While they weren't useless louts, a young woman in the middle who couldn't protect herself was just asking to cause trouble.

Even cold, the stew was a good breakfast, made with enough stimulants to ensure he was properly awake by the time he'd finished it off. Cleaning up was only proper, and he eyed her food stores thoughtfully; he could possibly leave her breakfast as well...

He needed a way to indicate that while he had certainly left, he would be returning. He needed to scout out the nearest demon village—there was always some, and Satori had to live _somewhere—_ as well as plot a path in and out that would allow him some measure of stealth. It was a pity there was no cover, but perhaps he could change that on his way out...?

No, perhaps that would not be the best of ideas. At least, not without seeing what Kimiko thought. Not this morning, though, perhaps on one of his return trips he could present the idea.

The fact that he had decided to return was already settled strongly in his mind. One way or another, he was getting her out of this tower.

* * *

Kimiko woke slowly, with the sense that it was far later than usual. She was warmly wrapped in her blankets, situated properly in her bed... and completely alone. She tried not to feel the sharp pain of loneliness, and hissed a little as she felt a much more different pain in her abdomen, along with a need to pee.

Moving in increments to keep the ache from getting worse, she edged towards the side of the bed, and tried not to make too much of a complaining noise when she finally had to push herself upright. The pleasure had been good, _so_ good. But this aftermath, she wasn't sure she liked it. It was worse than the intermittent times she bled... just without the other side effects. The ache was bad enough.

She found the crystal lamp that provided her with light and touched it lightly, feeding it just enough energy to give her a soft glow and reveal the room. The loneliness came back to claw at her; everything of his was gone. The only signs that something had taken place were her own haphazardly discarded clothes.

She ignored them in favor of wrapping herself in the blanket and shuffling her way out of the room. There, at least, she saw signs _of_ him, more proof that it hadn't been a particularly vivid hallucination; the kitchen was clean, most of the dishes appeared to have been put away, and...

She blinked, making her way gingerly down the steps to stare at the table. Two pouches, and a plate covered with another. Kimiko hesitated, then shook herself lightly and headed for the bathroom first, to take care of necessary bodily functions, and see if she was actually hurt, or if this was like the bleeding pain; something that would go away on its own.

They were still there when she came back out, hair damp from being washed; the hot water of the bath had helped quite a bit, and she hadn't caught the sense of any permanent harm. She would just do quiet things today... like maybe go back to bed for a few more hours so she could pretend that she wasn't alone.

But first she had to see what had been left for her.

Breakfast was on the plate, a series of thin, flat cakes and some eggs mixed with vegetables. Even cold, it tasted good, and she couldn't help the warm feeling it gave her. While Satori had cared for her in her younger years, this felt... different. Kinder, somehow. Or maybe she was reading too much into it, and it was just... some gratitude for the prior evening.

She wished he'd stayed so she could ask.

Kimiko reached over once she had finished the food, and carefully prodded the pouches. One seemed filled with little round balls, and she peered into it, then made a sound of dismay; the rurimaru stones were too distinctive to mistake. She didn't dare give these to Satori, there was no way of knowing whether the demon would be amused or infuriated, and the last thing she wanted right now was to be stripped of what energy she had managed to recover.

She wasn't too sure she _wanted_ to know what was in the second one... the fact that he'd left both here didn't bode well, really. But after a moment she reluctantly opened the bag and had to sit back on the stool and swear for a good minute. Her bracers, the match for Yusuke's were right on top; beneath them were a few other pieces, and she just pillowed her face in her hands for a moment, wanting to know what it might mean.

There wasn't much she could do about it, unfortunately. She put her hand in, carefully lifting the bracers out, and felt the slight sting of demon magic; different from what Satori used, but no more friendly. It was tempting to snap them on, to push her energy into the spells and wait.

But if Satori learned of this, would it be worth it? Or worse, what if someone actually _did_ come to get her, and she wasn't what they wanted? Was it right to give someone hope like that, only to take it away with the truth?

Reluctantly she put them aside, and instead fished out a necklace from the bag. It was very sparkly, and the multiple stones would please Satori for a while, at least. This she laid on the table, then she stuffed the bracers back into the bag before she could change her mind, and cast about for a safe place to hide them.

In the end, she brought them back up to her room, shoving them to the back of the armoire in which she stored her clothes. It wasn't the best hiding place, but Satori mostly stayed in the main room if there was no reason to go elsewhere. Since her visitor was gone, there would be no reason for Satori to be suspicious.

Hopefully, anyways.

Kimiko half closed her eyes, then rubbed a hand over her face. Forget this, forget everything, for the moment she was just going back to bed.

* * *

"I'm telling you, it's not anyone's fault," Yusuke argued, getting up into Raizen's face again. "She wasn't _thinking_ when she did it, it was just that stupid reflex of hers. And he could be the best lead you've ever had since I told you the bitch's name!"

Raizen snarled a little, and Yusuke took a half step back, baring his own teeth in reflex. Yeah, sure, Raizen was his dad, had raised him not too terribly for the past two decades, but this was his _sister_ they were talking about. His sister and the thief that had apparently found her.

"Lord Raizen, Lord Yusuke does make a good point," Hokushin said after a moment, his voice breaking carefully between them. While he didn't know the full extent of what was going on, the fact that he wasn't questioning it was why Yusuke actually liked the bald demon. "We haven't had any leads in over a decade, and we don't know what it is that Lady Kimiko's been told. Having a go-between might well be worth the stones."

Raizen snarled a little more, but it was half-hearted at best. Yusuke might have wanted his sister back more, but it was Raizen who still felt the worst weight of her kidnapping, and the fact that there had been no sign of her since, save Yusuke's dream-visits.

"She's got no reason to trust anyone," Yusuke continued determinedly, "but I think if we can get her out, get her _home_ , she could see for herself that Satori's a lying snake-bitch. Hell, if I could get this fox to bring _me_ there-"

"No," Raizen growled a little. "Satori was not weak when she kidnapped Kimiko, and she took her for a reason, one that we don't understand."

"Oh come _on!_ " Yusuke snapped. "I've got my bracers, and I'm probably the _best_ choice to go find her! I'm her _brother_ , damnit! If she _did_ trust anyone, it'd be me!"

He glanced at Hokushin, hoping for some back up, but the monk demon's expression was neutral at best. Raizen's expression was nothing more than solid stone, the point of contention that remained between them time and time again. No matter how good Yusuke got, Raizen kept raising the bar, and saying it wasn't good enough.

On calmer days, or in dreams with his sister, he could acknowledge that Raizen was worried. He'd lost one child already, even if she was still alive. To lose the other would throw him into a rage so great it very well could obliterate parts of Makai. But right now, Yusuke didn't really feel much like being understanding; if Raizen wasn't going to be reasonable here, he was going to have to take matters into his own hands.

"She _might_ trust you," Raizen acknowledged when the tension in the air was thick enough to cut. "But there's no promise that this fox would."

"She said she'd talk to him-"

"And if she didn't get the chance before he left?" Raizen quirked an eyebrow lightly.

Yusuke stopped. Grimaced. That was a point he'd been trying to ignore, actually; if the fox left before Kimiko could ask, there was no guarantee about anything.

"Today is your own," Raizen said abruptly, rising from his throne. "Go... have a nap, or something."

A furious retort died before it made its way out, mostly because Hokushin caught Yusuke's eye with a slight shake of his head. As Raizen left the room, Yusuke marched over to the monk, ready to give him a piece of his mind while Hokushin merely watched the door.

"What the hell'd you stop me for?" Yusuke demanded.

"Lord Raizen has given you the day to do as you please, Lord Yusuke," Hokushin replied. "How you use the day is up to you."

Yusuke knew he wasn't necessarily the smartest; he fought for the thrill of it, and didn't really like the studying aspects that came with being the half-blood son of a Makai king. So it took him a few minutes to recognize what Hokushin was saying.

"...man why does he always gotta talk in circles," Yusuke grumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"He says you don't think critically enough," Hokushin replied with a somewhat superior smile.

"Watch it baldy," Yusuke snapped with a glare.

"So, what _would_ you do with this free time, Lord Yusuke?"

Yusuke's irritated scowl faded into a thoughtful frown; there was the chance that Kimiko hadn't been able to speak to the fox, which meant the best they could hope for was the fox coming to them on a whim.

"You've already got people keeping an eye out for the thief, right?"

"Of course," Hokushin nodded. "Twenty missing rurimaru stones would have been reason enough. The chance to finally find Lady Kimiko will only make them sharper."

"Dad's reward for her still stand, doesn't it?"

This time Hokushin merely nodded; for information that led to Kimiko, wealth had been promised. Actually bringing the girl back would net a small kingdom within Raizen's lands. In the early years, years Yusuke didn't much remember beyond always being angry or upset, demons had tried to gain that reward, not realizing that Raizen's wrath at misinformation wasn't worth the lie.

"Just... don't shoot him again," Yusuke grumbled a little. "Sis'll get pissed."

"Of course, Lord Yusuke."

And of course all of this required the thief to either come to them, or go back to Kimiko, neither of which could be guaranteed. Yusuke's scowl deepened; there had to be something he could do with his free day that would get them that little bit closer.

"...hey, which direction did he go running off in, anyways?"

* * *

Kurama shook his head a little as he stepped into his own camp; he shouldn't have gotten in without a challenge, but as ever it seemed his absence produced something akin to a kicked anthill; people moving around, but with no idea of what they ought to be doing.

Yomi's doing, no doubt. Had he come pelting back to camp, deciding to move everyone without Kurama's say? It wasn't necessarily a foolish thought, but the way it was being enacted was annoying.

"K-Kurama! Hey, Kurama's back!"

The bandits abandoned their tasks, their hasty packing, and crowded around, careful to leave him room to move. He glanced them over, seeing relief in most face, though in some there was a bit of thwarted irritation. Plainly those had been looking forward to Yomi stepping into command, a strange desire considering how often Yomi got people killed...

"Are we moving camp, boss?"

"Did you get anything?"

"Yomi said we was movin, are we movin?"

"I don't see no treasures..."

"Boss, what's goin on?"

Kurama let them all speak at once, letting them get it out of their systems, and caught Yomi's eye from across the camp. The dark-haired demon looked somewhere between relieved and annoyed, and Kurama mentally acknowledged the fact that they needed to have a long talk soon. Again.

Then he lifted a hand.

"Continue to pack the camp," he said calmly. "We are moving to a new location. I hid the treasures. I will retrieve them once we have fortified the new camp. Ides, Shats, come."

He turned, and the demons returned to their work, a bit less frantically now that Kurama's calm had affected them. Ides, a winged demon, and Shats, a digger, both fell in at his sides.

"I believe I have found something worth cultivating. I need information on Raizen's missing child."

Both demons stumbled; Kurama simply continued towards his tent.

"Boss, you... did you find her?"

Shats had a gravelly voice, made rougher with their shock. Kurama simply flicked an ear slightly, and refrained from answering; like most heists, he wasn't inclined to give details until he had a workable plan. After a moment both demons caught up again, though he could scent shock from both.

"Ides; the town nearest here. Listen to rumors, stir the pot. Find out everything you can. Shats, tunnel to the palace and listen through their walls. You have three days. Tell no one but myself."

"Meet?"

Ides usually didn't string together more than two or three words at a time, but he was one of Kurama's best information gatherers, as was Shats with their ability to hear through stone.

"The forest, outside Tourin palace," Kurama said with a minuscule smirk. "Amans will set the marker."

Both demons nodded, and turned away; Ides went up, and Shats went down into the loam as Kurama entered his tent. It wasn't more than a minute later when Yomi ducked under the flap as well, marching up to the map-table Kurama was studying.

"What do you mean we're moving?" he demanded.

"You were already in the process of packing up, so this makes it simpler," Kurama replied.

"We were going back to the main camp," Yomi snapped. "To dig in and fortify in case Raizen's people-"

"We shouldn't need to worry about that," Kurama interrupted, flicking an ear slightly in dismissal. "There is a new bargaining chip on the table. A greater treasure to be found."

Yomi's scowl could have peeled paint, but Kurama was unmoved by his second's display of temper. It did make him think fleetingly of Kuronue, though; he had been far more sensible...

"What greater treasure?" Yomi asked, suspicious.

"When I have a plan, you will know," Kurama replied. "For now, continue to pack up. We will leave shortly."

Yomi stood there a few moments more, then growled a little and turned, stalking back out of the tent. Kurama shook his head slightly; Yomi's temper and impulsive nature were getting worse, not better. Something would have to be done about him, before he led more of their best into inescapable traps.

Mulling over how to handle his hot-tempered second, Kurama moved away from his map table to the small chest into which he could fit everything necessary. He would have to put together a pack of useful items for Kimiko if he wanted to get her out of the tower, and it would be best to do that first, to have it ready before they settled into their new, temporary home.

* * *

Physically she hurt less the second time she woke up, though the sleep hadn't improved her unsettled feelings too much. He had left both pouches for a reason, and she very much felt that it meant he would be returning. Which... was sort of the opposite of what she'd wanted, really. Unless he was returning with an army, or several other high-powered demons that could subdue Satori, returning here would only put him in further danger.

Kimiko laid under her blankets for several long minutes, torn between wishing he _would_ come back, and wishing he would stay away, stay safe.

Then, tiredly, she just sighed and got out of bed. If she wasn't in evidence downstairs when Satori arrived, the demon would come looking, and really, that was kind of the last thing she wanted at the moment. It was going to be rough enough admitting that she had no idea which direction Kurama had gone off in, even as it was a relief to know that it wasn't something she'd have to try and lie about.

She got dressed properly this time, and did some slow, careful stretching, trying to ease the rest of the ache. It was proof, to be sure, that she hadn't dreamed the previous evening, but that didn't mean she wanted to keep being in pain. And she was fairly certain that any topical salve she could make wouldn't really do much.

"Dishes," she told herself firmly. "Dishes and then make something to eat."

Cooking took a lot of her focus, and would keep her from worrying too much. It was, at the moment, the best distraction she could offer herself. Whatever would happen, she couldn't control it from where she was.

* * *

"I thought Pops searched all the mountains," Yusuke said, staring up at the red cliffs.

"There are many places where paths are unusable," Hokushin replied. "While not insurmountable, it was eventually decided that our efforts were best served in more easily accessed places."

"...for Pops, that's pretty damn stupid," he grunted a little.

"We have sent people to overlook portions of it, of course, but the mountain range is quite extensive, Lord Yusuke. And sometimes we cannot see from the air what would be easily visible from the ground."

Yusuke just made a face; it had taken him most of the day to even get this far, and he was pretty sure actually going into the mountains was off the table. Not with just himself and Hokushin. And by the time they went back for the other Monkettes, it would be dark and there wasn't half a chance in hell that Raizen would let him go back out.

"Damnit!"

Punching the rock and breaking a good portion of it didn't fix anything, but it certainly made him feel a little better, expending some energy after a fruitless day of searching. Maybe his punch was nothing like the craters Raizen could produce, but for a half demon, it was an impressive display of power.

"...that is a good marker, Lord Yusuke," Hokushin said after a moment. "We can start from here tomorrow."

* * *

"Your visitor has left, I see."

Kimiko nodded, glancing briefly at Satori who was admiring the necklace that she had pulled from Kurama's pouch earlier.

"Which way did he go?"

"I don't know," she replied, running a hand through her hair. "He was gone before I woke up."

Satori's slightly admiring expression shifted to thin-lipped displeasure, and Kimiko could only shrug helplessly. She couldn't give any information on his whereabouts when she didn't know herself... and admittedly, she didn't _want_ to give Satori any information about him.

"That is disappointing."

"I'm sorry..."

Satori made a dismissive gesture, placing a pack onto the ground.

"This will take some time to dismantle. I will return in three days."

Kimiko nodded, waiting until Satori flowed out the window with the necklace before she approached the pack to see what had been brought for her.

Food, of course; Satori always brought food. Some cloth, just enough to maybe make a new dress, which would keep her busy for a few days for certain. Nothing to read, though, or write with. Not that Kimiko was very good at either, but that was lack of ability to practice more than lack of skill. Learning those in dreams had been interesting, since Yusuke had deemed them boring skills, even while she'd found them fascinating.

Kimiko pulled the fabric out to lay on the table, put the food away, then returned to the cloth. It was colorless as ever, a dusky gray that was serviceable in its plainness. Someday, maybe, she would find the courage to ask for some color...

It looked warm though, and it was softer than some of the other fabrics Satori had brought her in the past. She wondered if it was an apology, or just something Satori had grabbed to keep her busy for the next three days; after a moment she shrugged mentally and decided it didn't much matter. There was never enough fabric to actually use for much more, and no point in hiding it away; if she didn't make use of it, show it to Satori, the demon would find it and remove it.

And the fabric was never quite strong enough for a rope down anyways.

Wearily, she pulled her mind away from those sorts of thoughts and let her fingers rest on the cloth. Maybe she could make something _different_ this time. Kurama's pants had looked comfortable, much more easy to move in than the skirt. Maybe she could figure out how to make a pair of those...

* * *

"You've known for a while that I was in the mountains Yusuke," she said dryly, watching her brother pace the dreamscape. "I told you I was surrounded by them. It's not Father's fault that they're hard to search. I expect Satori would have put some kind of...ward, or misdirection around this area anyways. Assuming it can even be reached by air, and not just on foot."

It had always been on foot that her visitors had arrived, after all.

"He could've _said_ something..." Yusuke grumped.

"Like what? No doubt Hokushin is right. You're _out_ there, you can see the extent of the range for yourself," she pointed out. "And spreading people out over the mountains on the off chance that someone reaches me isn't tactically sound. Searching more easily accessible areas just makes sense."

He muttered under his breath, no doubt something heavily impolite. Kimiko just shook her head in tolerant amusement.

"It doesn't matter right now anyways," she continued, plopping onto a cushion. "Kurama's gone, clearly hasn't made contact with you, and left his things with me. I'd like some advice on what to do about that, if you could?"

"He left... what?"

"The things he stole,Yuu," Kimiko replied, drawing her knees up to her chest. At least here in the dreamspace nothing hurt. "The rurimaru stones, and the armor."

Yusuke scrambled over to her quickly enough that she flinched back; even knowing he was the last person in the world who would want to hurt her, when he moved that fast it was hard not to get startled.

"Shit, put that on! Fuck using him as an intermediary, we could find you damn quick if you put the bracers on!"

"I... I don't know..."

"Look, you said Satori's gonna be away for three days! It's probably the best chance you're gonna get, Sis!"

Kimiko bit her lip and looked away. After a moment Yusuke conjured his own pillow and flopped down next to her.

"Okay, so, yeah, I piss and moan about Dad a lot, but still. C'mon, Sis. He could _flatten_ Satori. Fuck, he really wants to flatten her!"

"Yusuke... what if she's right, though? Not about Father, but...me. My power? We don't know anything about it..."

"Shit, sis, we only don't know anything cause she keeps taking it from you," he said, sounding disgusted. "If she'd let you hod onto it long enough to figure shit out-"

Abruptly Yusuke vanished from the dreamscape, and Kimiko groaned a little; there went that chance of advice. As the scape collapsed around her, returning her to the folds of darkness that wastrue sleep, she couldn't help but consider his last words.

Maybe there _was_ something to that point...

* * *

"The fuck did you wake me up for?" Yusuke snarled blearily. "It's the middle of the goddamn night!"

"Someone is making inquiries into the many rumors about Lady Kimiko," Hokushin replied, a look of tired triumph in his face. "They are being cautious, but as ever, our informants are better."

"...yeah, and?" Yusuke scrubbed his face, not seeing any reason for him to be awake. "Go tell Pops, don't fuckin bug me..."

"Lord Yusuke, your father has deemed it time for you to take a more active hand in discovering your sister," Hokushin replied.

Yusuke just blinked at him. Hokushin sighed, and shook his head lightly.

"He's giving you leave to decide what to do in regards to her," the monk demon clarified. "As you pointed out, you are the one Lady Kimiko will trust the most, therefore, he is going to defer to you as far as finding her goes. When it comes to the actual rescue, he will need to be informed, but until that point, everything regarding your sister is in your hands."

Yusuke blinked. Stared. Raizen was giving _him_ control over what happened? Why the hell hadn't he said something earlier then? Why was he only learning about this _now_ , when he was half-awake and trying to process the fact that what he could remember of the shredded conversation was Kimiko's reluctance to leave her tower?

"From what we have been told," Hokushin continued, "the demon in question has wings, and is not the fox thief. But there is a chance he may lead us _to_ the thief. What do you want us to do?"

He blinked some more, then rubbed his hands over his face. He had to make a choice right now?

"Shit... follow him, I guess?" Yusuke hazarded. "If we grabbed up everyone who asked about her that wouldn't go well..."

Hokushin nodded a thin smile crossing his face.

"We will set our best tracker on him, my lord."

"Okay... I'm going back to sleep now. Wake me up again and I'm punching your face in."

There wasn't much chance of finding the dreamscape again, but it was _way_ too damn early to be awake.

* * *

 _Belated thanks to nony-Fish who pointed out that ffnet had eaten a line break back in the first chapter. Sometimes I wonder why I still bother with this site..._


	4. Three

Three

It had taken the better part of a day to get the camp packed up and moved, and then half of the second to reach the middle point in the forest between Raizen's palace and Kimiko's tower. All told, it was slower than Kurama would have liked, but also faster than he'd expected. Leaving Yomi to supervise and collect treasure rumors from the town nearest to their little encampment was a necessary irritation, and though he told them he would return soon, he did not specify when.

It was a good thing they were not as strong as he was, because losing them would have been more difficult. Times like this, he missed being a solo thief, working on his own with no one to watch for or deal with...

He reached the base of the tower as the sun was going down, and paced the base of it curiously; he doubted Kimiko had seen all of it, after all, and there was a chance there could be a door hidden at the base. The lack of greenery, of cover, was still almost obnoxious in its perversity, especially as he could sense healthy roots beneath rock and soil. Why, then had they sent no shoots up? How long had this tower even _been_ here?

He found nothing; the stones were solid the entire way around. So much for giving her an easier way out...

He shook his head lightly and flung himself easily up the side of the tower, silently clearing the window frame to land on the worn wooden floor. A glance around showed him very little; there was some sort of fabric bundled together on the table, sewing tools scattered around it. The strongest scent in the air was determination, mixed with baking meat and bread.

He glanced towards the kitchen and saw her sitting on a stool, staring intensely at the oven. As though if she took her attention from it, some great disaster might befall her.

Despite himself, he was intrigued, and silently settled himself on her other stool to watch. Was it some sort of experiment? It smelled like a very ordinary meat pie, as far as he could tell, not a terribly complicated dish. In point of fact, it seemed almost done, and it would be very unhelpful if he surprised her into dropping it and ruining her meal.

So after a moment, in direct contrast to most of his movements, he very noisily let the pack he was wearing thump to the floor.

Kimiko jumped about a foot, almost tripped on her stool, and made a grab for a knife that was almost a respectable speed... if she had managed to grab the handle instead of the blade, he might even have been impressed.

Calmly he moved over to her, and caught up her wrist, unfolding her fingers from the sharp edge of the knife. She let him, plainly too surprised by his appearance to offer fight or protest.

"Your spatial awareness needs work," he said, pulling her over to the sink to clean the neat gash across her palm.

"Wh. b..." she spluttered for a few minutes, finally seeming to regain her wits as he poured water over the bleeding wound. "What are you _doing_ here?! Why did you come back?"

She was resisting him a little, digging in her heels slightly when he tried to turn her hand and see the extent of the injury. He had half-thought she might be happy to see him, but she seemed concerned, afraid. She didn't want him there, that much was easy to see.

"I left a few things behind. As I do not see them out here, I find myself wondering what happened to them."

She flushed a little, and he used the moment to bring her to the stool at the table, making her sit on it and propping her elbow on the table to keep her hand elevated.

"I hid them. I had to give Satori the necklace as payment though. You shouldn't _be_ here..."

Since that seemed to be her request for an answer, he decided to ignore it, instead producing several leaves and flowers that he flattened together to make a salve that would slow the bleeding and ease the sting.

She hissed a little, and tried to pull her hand away, but he caught her wrist firmly until he could finish wrapping it.

"Next time, angle the knife so that the hilt is towards you, not the blade," he said as he tied the bandage off.

"Next time?What do you mean 'next time'?" she demanded. "There's not going to be a next time! ….is there?"

He smiled a little, and allowed her to tug her hand free.

* * *

Kimiko pulled back from him, trying to master her conflicted emotions; part of her was almost desperately happy to see him. Anything was better right now than being left alone with her thoughts and uneasy worries. Part of her was afraid; Satori was still meant to be away, tomorrow evening at the earliest was when she would return, but that didn't mean things couldn't change abruptly.

So really, it was a good thing when she caught the scent of her pie starting to scorch; it let her jump up from the stool and put some space between herself and the silver-haired demon that she couldn't even begin to understand.

It was almost annoying that he'd made her burn the pie. If she could have had a few more minutes to watch, the top wouldn't have turned lightly black. The heat filtered through the cloth she was using to protect her hands and she hissed a little as it pressed on the new injury... stupid of her to leave the knife like that too, but she hadn't exactly been _expecting_ a visitor.

He had reclaimed the stool by the time she had set the pie aside to cool and she could feel his eyes on her; this was not the strangely easy silence of the days prior, there was expectation here. Waiting for... something, she wasn't sure what.

"...look, I can go and get what you left behind for... whatever reason, but you shouldn't stay long," she finally said. "Satori doesn't like repeat visitors, even ones that can pay. Probably _especially_ ones that can pay, because that means they're alive, and..."

"Live beings talk," he said, nodding a little. "I came to pose questions, if you're amicable."

"...I guess it depends on the questions," she hedged, glancing at him uncertainly.

"You are Raizen's missing daughter, yes?"

She froze, and felt her heart doing a queer jig of both jumping up into her throat and trying to sink down to her toes.

"...how did you find that out?"

He tipped his head slightly, and she thought there was a bit of sardonic humor in the gesture.

"A young woman locked away in a tower is somewhat grandiose. Was this his idea of safety?"

"I...I..."

She found herself backing away, clutching at the towel in her hands. Maybe it shouldn't have thrown her so much, but it had been a secret, her secret, for so long. A well-guarded one, not just for her safety, but for the safety of the people who found their way to her tower. Being a recluse who _lived_ in a tower was bad enough...

She hit the wall and sank down, hiding her face in the towel. After a few moments she heard a faint sigh, and the light footsteps of Kurama as he crossed the intervening space. She flinched when he put a warm hand on her shoulder, and kept her face hidden.

"I have told no one," he said, his voice quiet. "I will tell no one. I had thought you might be... pleased..."

Kimiko shook her head a little.

"It's more... _complicated_ than that," she whispered. "I... I want to be pleased, but I... I can't help being scared."

He sighed again and she couldn't help but squeak when he picked her up, pulling her into his lap. His hand stroked her back gently, a soothing motion that she hadn't expected. This close he smelled... nice. Even though the dishcloth, she could almost taste green plants, feeling the life that he must surround himself with daily. Did he remain above it, the way she did?

No, that wasn't a fair comparison to make for either of them. She didn't have anyone, while he probably had many people. He had that sort of feeling about him...

Bit by bit, the trembling eased.

"What is so frightening?"

"I...I have two stories of what happened," she said, letting the cloth fall away from her face so that she could tentatively rest her head against his chest. He lifted his hand lightly to smooth back some of her hair, and this time his touch was... comforting. It made it easier to speak. "My... my brother's told me that I was kidnapped. Satori killed the matron who was caring for me, and took me away. Satori... says that Lord Raizen wanted nothing to do with me, that I reminded him of his dead human lover. Said that if I remained within the palace, he'd kill me, or... or worse."

"And you don't know who to believe more."

"I... I _want_ to believe Yusuke. I really do! But I don't want to get him in trouble asking... asking questions like that of Lord Raizen. And then half the time he doesn't remember anyways because he likes to sleep,so he gets woken up abruptly, and when that happens, he can't remember anything we've talked about..."

A knot in her chest loosened, and she let out a tired sigh.

"I want to see my brother," she said softly. "In person. I...I know I can, I should, trust him. But it's so hard to think past how... how badly it could all go. What if _I'm_ wrong?"

"What is there for you to be wrong about?"

He sounded puzzled, curious. It was a fair question, but it took her some thinking to find the right words. It was almost funny; she hadn't ever spoke this much, not to any of her previous visitors, and certainly never to Satori, who had long since made it plain that she would tolerate few questions.

"This... power. What Satori takes from me. It's... I know it's not my own energy, not really. It's...It's something different. Whatever it is, it sort of eclipses what I can use, and I think it's more dominant than what I actually have. She can take it from me, using her spell, but it's.. I guess sticky? It doesn't like being taken."

"Perhaps if you resisted-"

"No way," and she shuddered a little, drawing her legs in a bit more. "Thwarted Satori is probably the last thing I need right now. Everything so confusing..."

The words came out far more plaintively than she meant for them to, and she winced a little, waiting for him to tell her to stop whining.

* * *

None of this had gone the way he'd thought it would. He had expected anger, perhaps. Or maybe relief at not having to hide a secret. This? This utter collapse was not in his plans. It had hurt more than he'd expected to see her huddled up on the floor, hiding behind that cloth like it was the only thing that could stand between her and the rest of the world.

Giving her comfort and reassurance had almost come natural; he hadn't thought of profit when he'd told her he would say nothing, nor when he'd sat down and gathered her up. He'd just wanted her to stop being so afraid.

Not that being afraid wasn't sensible. Conflicting stories of Raizen were all around, even in his own territory. Sometimes humans were spared, kicked back to Ningenkai, while other times humans were set upon as prey, devoured like the hapless creatures they were. He was a ruler both cruel and kind, and his power was shaping Makai whether he acknowledged it or didn't.

"...May I continue to ask questions?" he said finally,when she had lain still in his hold for several minutes.

"Sure..."

She sounded listless, and he looked down to see a pale, wan face, a bleak expression. Giving up, it seemed, on trying to keep her secrets. Part of him was pleased, at how little work he was having to do, while another part of him wanted to growl at her for being so pathetic. He mastered both, showing nothing on his face; neither emotion would serve him right now anyways.

"How do you contact your brother?"

"We're twins," she said with a slight shrug. "If... _when_ , I should say. When we sleep at the same time, we find a middle ground, a meeting place. I've called it dreamspace, and it's where we can talk, and he tells me all kinds of things. When we were smaller, we used to just use it to play, and we didn't realize that it was anything important..."

Twins in Makai were certainly considered auspicious, and more often than not held some connection that ordinary siblings did not. Separating them made no sense, not even if the girl _did_ resemble Raizen's dead human lover. He could tell just from her words that Kimiko was desperate to have a story she _could_ believe, but at the same time was absolutely afraid of believing the wrong thing.

"Do you trust Satori that much?"

She stirred, and he saw fire flicker in her purple eyes for a moment. Then she subsided again and closed them, leaning more heavily against his chest.

"I don't know any more... She raised me this long, and maybe she really believes what she's told me. About protecting me from my own power, from my father... Maybe she's right, and Yusuke's wrong, and he doesn't know because I've never been there. She scares me, but there's a reason for it... isn't there?"

Again, that plaintive tone. This time he couldn't help the slight growl, and she flinched a little, leaning away from him.

"Sorry, I...I'm-"

He brushed a finger over her mouth, and sighed just slightly. He was already in this far too deep to leave now... and if he was being honest with himself, he didn't want to. He wanted to understand her strange power... and understand her as well. Having an ally in Raizen's daughter—and potentially one in his son—would prove far more profitable than some rurimaru and jewelry.

"You have done nothing wrong," he said firmly. "Your confusion is understandable, as is your desire to find out which person is speaking true. To that end, I have... an idea, if you would listen."

For the first time since his arrival, he saw a calmer, more relaxed expression on her face. Good. If she elected to trust him,that would go well.

"I don't really think I can do anything else," she said after a moment, her tone dry. "I'm kind of stuck."

It was surprising enough that he huffed in amusement.

"Yes. You need training. Agreed?"

She nodded a little, shifting slightly, a little more upright.

"I can help rebuild your energy from the drain Satori puts you under," he said, glancing down at her. "And teach you how to hide your power so that she does not know. There are exercises you can do here in the tower to improve the tone of your body, your arm and leg strength. And... you can come out with me."

Her eyes went wide.

"I would return you, of course, unless you desire to leave and never look back," he continued swiftly. "Which would be the sensible option..."

She managed a weak, fleeting smile, the first he'd seen from her.

"Yes, well,I think we both know that I'm not really what anyone could call sensible. If I was, I'd probably have jumped years ago..."

"It depends on your idea of sensible," he replied, very lightly tapping the end of her nose. It made her squeak, and she gave him an astonished look. "You have been biding your time until this point. Now, we simply need to ensure that while you may continue to wait, you can at least be prepared to take matters into your own hands."

Slowly, as if she wasn't sure how to go about it, a smile spread across Kimiko's face.

* * *

She knew she shouldn't relax so much, but she couldn't quite help herself. This was different from Yusuke trying to teach her how to fight in their dreams, as if she could absorb everything he was taught in a single night. Kurama was here, a very physical presence; she could touch him, feel his warmth, breathe his scent, the strength of his power...

But in the back of her mind she also couldn't help being concerned. Satori would know, somehow. The way she always did. Sooner or later, this happy little bubble was going to pop, and if she let this last too long, it would hurt so much worse.

She pushed such thoughts away, wanting to be happy for just a little while. Wanting to believe in the hope that Kurama was offering to her. It was almost... funny. Maybe a little sad. She found ease in a virtual stranger, far more trust in his words than in her own brother's.

There was no way to avoid telling Yusuke, but maybe she could ease into it. Or maybe...

"How does Satori know when you have visitors?" he asked, his smooth voice breaking into her thoughts.

"Ah... she... tastes the air, somehow?" Kimiko said after a moment of thought. "Like the Ningenkai creature, a snake. It's one of the first things she does when she comes up."

He nodded a little.

"First," and she was willing to swear she detected a wry note in his voice, "you must eat."

She made a face, and reluctantly got out of his lap. She had been enjoying being... wrapped up in someone else's warmth for once.

"Why were you staring so intently at the oven?"

Kimiko made another face, looking a little mournfully at the blackened top of her pie.

"I suck at cooking. If I don't pay attention to it, I ruin it."

"I see..."

Now she rolled her eyes, easily recognizing that brand of restrained amusement; she got it entirely too much from Yusuke.

"Oh just laugh."

Instead, his hand rested lightly on the top of her head for a moment, before he turned away to make his whisper-soft way to the table.

"...do you want some?"

"Thank you, but I have eaten already."

Well, even with a burned top, food was still food, and she wasn't about to waste it. Cutting into the pie let out a burst of warmth and scent, and she smiled a little; the top might have been scorched, but the inside looked just fine. Small favors were nice.

She carried it over to the table to cool for a few more minutes while she cleared away the sewing things; the pants weren't easy for her to make, but she thought she had the way of it. Maybe... Either way, it wasn't like she was going to get them finished while she ate, and she suspected that Kurama was going to fill her days with something else.

Her nights too?

Quickly she shoved that thought away; best to not presume _that_ would happen again.

"The first thing I am going to teach you is how to make a cleanser that will abolish aura and scent," he said as she put her fork down. "You should be able to do it with the plants you have on hand... Have you wax?"

"Some. Not a lot. Satori's not a big fan of open candle flame, so I mostly have the crystals..."

"Hm... And she will notice if something simply appears."

Kimiko nodded.

Kurama stood and went over to pick up one of the crystal globes, frowning at it thoughtfully.

"I have heat stones," she said after a minute, wondering at his scrutiny. "Sometimes when I bleed, they help with the ache."

He turned, raising an eyebrow.

"You bleed?"

"Mmhm. It's... intermittent. I think it's because I'm half-human? It's not very fun... My gut cramps up bad enough that I've been sick a few times," and she made a face. "I can never really predict it either... But would those be helpful?"

"Yes," he said after a moment. "To disrupt one scent, you'll need another. And if she asks...?"

Kimiko went quiet, thinking. Satori certainly _would_ ask, and if she didn't have a good reason...

"I like the way it smells?" she said hesitantly.

A faint smile crossed his face, and warmth flickered inside as a response.

"Very good. Let's hope you actually do."

* * *

He had taught others before, of course, some more willing to learn than others. She was both willing, and wary, wanting to learn and at the same time resisting it. It was an interesting dichotomy, and he wondered at what was putting the block in place; resistance to change, perhaps? Or was there something else on her mind?

She learned how to create the cleanser, and he had to hold back on overt amusement as she had a sneezing fit when it was first warmed over one of the porous heating rocks. The sour look she gave him when he said nothing spoke volumes about what she expected, possibly would have gotten from her brother.

Fortunately, after a few minutes the strength of the smell tapered off into something admittedly a bit more pleasing. A crisp sort of cool, like winter in Ningenkai. Saying as much had piqued her curiosity, and he'd spent several minutes telling her about the weather in the patch of Ningenkai he liked best, how winters were full of snow and ice, both items she had no knowledge of.

It just made him want to get her out of the tower more; no one deserved to be locked up, unknown power or not.

"Can you read?"

"...not very well," she admitted. "Yusuke taught me in dreams, but he isn't very fond of it, and I have nothing to _practice_ with here. Why?"

"If would be sensible to leave you with books, for the days where I am unable to come. Then you could study yourself, as well as do what physical activities this room allows."

It was interesting to watch her face as she mulled over his words; she clearly had little to no practice at concealing her thoughts, but more than that; for someone raised in virtual isolation, she was astonishingly emotive. When she puzzled over something, her whole face scrunched up, and she practically glowed when she figured something out for herself with only a little prompting.

"I think I can hide those," she said after a moment. "As long as I keep Satori from getting too suspicious, she won't look in my room for things..."

He nodded a little, lifting one book from his pack and pushing it over to her; it had been his in his earlier years, a collection of drawings and information on plants. She needed more than just instinct to help her be a healer. She picked it up and turned pages carefully, slowly. Clearly not a well-practiced reader, but that wasn't too hard to remedy.

"...Kurama?"

"Yes?"

"Can... you do me a favor?"

He raised an eyebrow as she gently closed the book, leaning back a little from the table. She looked pensive, but also hopeful.

"For... for a long time now, I've known my brother wants to... to rescue me. But with how much I don't know, how much... confuses me..." she shook her head a little. "I don't...I want to meet him, but I can't..."

Kimiko stopped, and made a frustrated sound.

"I'm not making sense..."

"So start again," he replied, leaning forward curiously. "Pick your words. I will wait."

She sighed. Ran a hand through her hair.

"I want to meet my brother," she finally said. "In person. Talk to him like this, the way I'm talking to you. But... I don't want to go to the palace. I don't want to meet Raizen until... until either I'm ready or there's no other choice."

Kurama tipped his head a little.

"You wish me to meet with your brother and bring him here under those conditions?"

"...something like that. I mean, you don't...if it's not sensible, you don't have to. I think I can get Yusuke to agree, or at least not hate the idea..."

Her life had been ruled by unease, fear and powerlessness. It was a wonder—possibly due to the influence of her twin—that she could even come up with audacious ideas like this one.

But thinking about it, he found it was not so bad of a thought; she seemed to need some sort of confirmation, so way of judging ideas for herself. Being unable—and unwilling at this moment—to leave the tower, she had come up with the only possible solution she could.

Outside help.

 _His_ help.

And hadn't he been considering the benefits of befriending the young half-demon prince anyways?

"Very well," he replied with a faint dip of his head. "If your brother is amicable towards the idea, we can come to a neutral place and talk about it."

"...you might have to return what you stole," she said after a moment.

A small smile tugged at his mouth, somewhat sardonic in his own amusement.

"I might. But I suppose there is little point in keeping things that already have a lovely owner."

She blinked at him, surprised first, then flustered as his words sank in. This time he kept his grin strictly internal as she looked down at her lap, a blush coating her cheeks. It wasn't nice to tease her, maybe, but that reaction was impossible to resist.

* * *

"So what if there's a human in the courtyard?" Yusuke replied impatiently. "Dump him back in Ningenkai, don't bug me about it!"

"That is the trouble, my lord," Hokushin said a little dryly. "He seems rather... planted. Lord Raizen seems to be amused by him, and also thinks that perhaps you should deal with him yourself."

Yusuke grumbled a few curses towards his father under his breath. Raizen's mercurial swings of temperament were annoying on a _good_ day; since deciding to leave the decision of what to do about Kimiko in his hands, he'd also dropped at least a dozen _other_ new responsibilities on Yusuke.

A new way of keeping him busy, or some shit like that. It definitely wasn't appreciated.

"Fine, fine. Pops told you guys to step off, whatever. Why the hell does that mean _I_ have to deal with him?"

"You are the closest thing to a human envoy we have."

Glaring at Hokushin didn't do much to ruffle the monk's calm, nor did it really make Yusuke feel much better; being half-human was something of a touchy subject, and half the reason Raizen trained him so hard. Being Raizen's son meant he _had_ power... but some days it felt like he was still miles below where he was meant to be.

Yusuke stomped his way into the courtyard, and understood what Hokushin meant by planted. Somehow in the transition between Ningenkai and Makai, the idiot human had managed to half-bury himself in the stone. How was anyone's guess. How nothing was broken, about the same.

If it wasn't for the coppery-orange hair, Yusuke would have been willing to bet the idiot human had come from Raizen's favorite place in the human world; he was certainly wearing the rest of the gear for that, even half-sunk in the stone.

"...shit dude, the hell'd you piss off?" Yusuke asked, moving closer.

"Back off demon!" the redhead yelled, waving his sword a bit erratically. "You might have me down, but you're gonna have to work to eat me!"

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Do you want outta the ground or not?"

He got a squinting, suspicious look in response. Yusuke shook his head.

"I mean, shit, if you wanna stay buried in the training yard..."

"You're uh... not gonna eat me?"

"Right now? Nah. You're kinda in the way though. Seriously, how'd you end up halfway through the ground?"

"How'm I supposed to know?!" the human screeched, annoyed and offended all at once. "I was practicing in my family's dojo, and then suddenly I'm here!"

"Seriously?" Yusuke snorted, glancing at Hokushin, who only sighed and shrugged. "Okay, put that dumb sword down and I'll pull you out."

"No way! The minute I put this down-"

"Hey, dumbass, no one here is interested in eating your scrawny human ass," Yusuke interrupted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Pops gets annoyed if we much on random visitors."

The sword lowered,and Yusuke once more got the suspicious look.

"Demons eat humans, though."

"Well, yeah. Sometimes. It's not like we dine on fresh flesh every day, though," he said, rolling his eyes. "If demons did that there wouldn't _be_ any humans."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense."

"Besides, if we were gonna eat someone, they'd be way stronger than you."

"What?! Get over here and say that to my face you rotten punk! I am so strong! I'll punt you ass across the courtyard!"

Yusuke grinned ferally. Maybe a good fight would go well towards alleviating his stress. If nothing else, tossing around a human would be a new experience.

First though, he had to get the idiot out of the ground. _Without_ getting stabbed by the sword.

"Lord Yusuke, maybe you-"

"Ah, back of Baldy," Yusuke snapped. "Pops wants me to deal with shit, I'm gonna deal with shit!"

He was fast enough to get to the planted samurai without getting stabbed, and the human yelped, trying to figure out where he'd gone by whipping his head back and forth. Yusuke snorted a little, shaking his head at the amateurish attempts, then grabbed the back of the human's armor—why the hell was he practicing in armor with a live sword anyways? Humans were fucking weird—and gave a yank.

The human popped out of the dirt and Yusuke turned it into a smooth throw, tossing him neatly halfway across the courtyard. He was only a little disappointed at how the human bounced and rolled instead of coming back to his feet.

"Man, see?" he complained. "You're definitely not worth wasting the energy on."

The human seemed to take that as a challenge and scrambled to his feet, lunging in to attack Yusuke with his sword. Yusuke just groaned a little and moved aside easily; this human was way too slow to be bothered with.

"Dude, you're just making yourself look bad..."

"I'll fight for the honor of the Kuwabara family name!" he bellowed. "Bring it on shorty!"

Yusuke didn't generally think of himself as short, despite other demons easily towering over him. But something in the way the human—Kuwabara—had said it heavily implied that he had just been insulted. And like hell he was going to let an overt insult pass.

* * *

Kimiko lifted her head abruptly from the exercise Kurama had been leading her through, her attention focusing briefly out the window.

"Satori?"

She blinked, then looked back at him in surprise.

"Huh?"

"Are you sensing Satori?" he repeated hand still firm around her wrist.

"Oh. No. I thought... for a second..." After a long moment she shook her head a little. "I thought I felt my brother, but that's... we've never done that."

"Felt him?"

"I know what his energy feels like. Sort of. I thought I felt a burst of it, like... like a reaching out? It doesn't make any sense..."

He nodded a little, then Kimiko shook her head slightly again.

"I don't sense energy very well as it is. Usually I hear Satori's claws before I feel her, and that's only if I'm listening very hard for them. Besides, she's supposed to be away for another day. I hope, anyways."

If she showed up abruptly with Kurama there... the thought made her shiver a little. Maybe Kurama could take her, but it was more likely that he would end up hurt, or dead, and Kimiko would be back at square one with her confusion and uncertainty.

"Then there's time."

The words brought a faint ripple of goosebumps up her spine, and she flicked a startled glance at him. Unlike the first time, he only gave her a calm,steady stare, no slow smile. Oddly, that was far more reassuring, and after a moment, he returned to instructing.

"Turn your wrist like this..."

* * *

"Dude, are you dead?"

Kuwabara just groaned from where he was lying in a heap and Yusuke snickered. For a human, he sure could take one hell of a beating! That had actually been kinda fun. Sure, he'd held back a lot, but once Kuwabara had stopped swinging that sword around and actually started punching, it had been a ball!

"How'd you get here, seriously?"

"Dunno," Kuwabara groaned, slowly levering himself upright. "I told ya, I was practicing, and then suddenly I was here."

"That's not how portals work dumbass," Yusuke scoffed. "Especially not from Ningenkai to Makai."

"That's not wholly accurate, Lord Yusuke."

Hokushin had left Yusuke to play with the human, and had been replaced by one of his bald monk friends; Yusuke didn't typically try to keep their names straight, but he thought this one was Seitei. He scowled a little at the monk in question, who only offered a slight shrug.

"Fine, you guys know so much about portals..."

"That is what happens when we travel through them," Seitei said with a faint smile. "Portals are mostly generated by demons, or exceptionally powerful humans, though they don't typically last long. Sometimes they can indeed form spontaneously, with some amusing results. This has certainly been one of the less life-threatening ones."

"What, like people gettin stuck between walls or somethin?"

Kuwabara turned faintly green at the idea, much to Yusuke's amusement, as Seitei nodded.

"That usually results in their deaths, my lord."

"Well shit. Guess you did get lucky, huh, Kuwabara?"

"If this is lucky, I'd hate to see what misfortune is," the redhead groaned.

"So, how do we punt him back, Seitei?" Yusuke asked. "Pull up a portal and go?"

"Your father would plant me in three walls if I allowed you to leave through a portal to Ningenkai," Seitei replied, shuddering. "I would recommend you talk to him first."

"Tch. What Pops don't know-"

"Gets the rest of us in trouble," Seitei interrupted, shaking his head.

Yusuke thought about that for a minute then popped to his feet with an annoyed grumble; sure, he could probably bully Seitei into doing it anyways, but maybe the monk demon was right and it wasn't worth the effort.

"Fine, fine, I'll talk ta Pops. Put him in a guest room til I get the okay. And no eating!"

He'd mostly said it as a joke; watching Kuwabara go pale and then glare was totally worth it. The fact that Seitei sighed mournfully just kind of added to it.

"Of course, Lord Yusuke."

Kuwabara made an undignified sound as Yusuke walked out of the courtyard, whistling in amusement, heading for the place where his father's energy was the thickest. Not the throne room; it was too late in the day for him to be dealing with morons. He traced him through the maze of corridors, until he reached the old nursery where he'd spent most of his time as a kid, and found Raizen there, staring out the large window. According to the matron who'd taken care of him—his mother for all intents and purposes until he'd been too old for her to baby any longer—it had once been open to the outside, but now it was filled with a thick, clear glass.

Yusuke hesitated on the threshold; when his father was in this room, his moods were usually far more touchy; this was the room Kimiko had been stolen from.

"What, boy? Do you want to keep the human?"

"Wh-damnit Pops, no," Yusuke grumped. "People ain't pets, cut the crap. Nah, I wanna dump his ass back in Ningenkai, but Seitei whined about not letting me walk through a portal. Said I had to clear it with you first."

"Well, at least one of you thinks," Raizen snorted a little, then turned away from the window, giving Yusuke a piercing stare. "You wanna go wander around Ningenkai?"

"...well, yeah, maybe a little," Yusuke shrugged lightly, feigning unconcern. "I mean, we gotta put the idiot human back where he belongs. Why not give it a look?"

Raizen frowned a little, and Yusuke tensed; was he going to be reasonable or an asshole about this?

"How goes the hunt for your sister?"

The non-sequitur threw Yusuke, and for a moment he just stared at Raizen. That was it?He wasn't gong to say yes _or_ no?

"It... goes, I guess," he said finally, too startled to be anything but honest. "Got someone watching a winged demon who's askin questions in a nearby town, and I told Hokushin to get people searching from the place where they lost the fox at the foot of the mountains."

"And who will maintain the search while you're away?"

Yusuke blinked at his sire, then glared.

"I'm _not_ skipping out on my responsibilities!" he snapped.

"Is that how she'll see it?"

"Pops, half the reason she has problems leaving is 'cause that stupid bitch keeps telling her about your worst traits," Yusuke retorted. "If I tell her you're lettin me go to Ningenkai, she might start getting the fact that Satori's full of shit!"

Raizen's growl echoed through the room, but Yusuke held his ground; he wasn't going to let Raizen use Kimiko as a tether to keep him here, damnit.

Lightning seemed to crackle in the space between them, and then slowly, Raizen relaxed.

"Fine. But not tonight. It's going to be late even by Ningenkai standards."

"Pssh. Like the dark bothers me," Yusuke snorted.

"There's no guarantee that your connection will pass between worlds, boy. Don't unnecessarily scare your sister."

Yusuke bristled a little, but had to admit that Raizen just might have a point there. Not only that, but from what he could recall, time passed different between Ningenkai and Makai; the last thing he wanted was to abruptly go dark on her without warning.

"Fine."

* * *

"...are you staying?" she asked quietly, cautiously as she glanced at the clock.

Kurama looked at it as well, then out the open window; logically, he should not. His crew would be well settled in by this point, likely awaiting his return... He had not said how long he would be gone, after all, and he wasn't entirely sure Yomi was trustworthy right now. Being there, an overt, calmly watching presence might temper his errant second for a short while.

And yet he found himself reluctant to leave.

"Would you like me to stay?" he countered.

Kimiko made a slight face at him, looking up briefly from her sewing.

"Do you _always_ do that? Answer a question with another question to get out of actually answering?"

He couldn't quite help the slight smile.

"It does serve well as a distraction," he pointed out, allowing humor to flavor his tone.

"It's annoying," she huffed a little.

"It is a fair question," he countered. "I would not want to overstay, or overstep."

Kimiko went quiet for a moment, frowning down at her stitches.

"Would... what happened last time. Would that happen again?"

He couldn't say whether it was a pleasant or worrying thought. And her own voice was so steadily neutral, it made him wonder how long the thought had been on her mind.

"Would you like it to?"

She glared at him this time.

"I swear, I'm going to throw something at you if you don't give me a straight answer," she threatened.

This time he stifled the smile, quite willing to believe that she well might. The problem was, it was a convoluted question. He admittedly couldn't deny that he was considering it, wanting to feel her under him again, to hear her soft cries of pleasure...

But it also felt...duplicitous. He had assuredly used her in their first sexual encounter, taking advantage of her exhaustion after to find out a truth. And for a demon, she was _young_. Half-human physiology or not, he did have several centuries on her.

"It can," he finally allowed. "If you are open to it."

"Why if I'm open to it?"

The frank question surprised him; he'd thought she was done doing that by now, but plainly he was incorrect. Her openness...pulled at him, and he found himself answering honestly.

"...you asked me earlier how I found out the truth, and I did not answer," he said slowly. "Indeed, instead I made a glib comment that was... unwarranted. Before you slipped into sleep, I asked how you knew so much about Raizen's people, and you told me yourself that he was your father."

He watched her carefully as her hands went still; she was naïve, but there was a brain inside her head, and he didn't think it would take her very long to realize what he'd done.

"...you did that for information," she said, her voice flat.

Kurama nodded a little, not betraying the slightest wince. Kimiko pursed her lips, eyes narrowing... but she didn't seem angry, only thoughtful. There was a chance that her lack of understanding might well play in his favor; all he had to do was let her find her own conclusion.

"I don't have information to trade this time," she said finally, sighing a little. "I've already told you everything."

A far more sensible reaction than he had initially anticipated. But then, she had no books, human or demon, that might lead her to more...romantic notions.

"Then there would be no need for deception," he replied, keeping his tone mild. "Though I do apologize for the duplicitous nature of our first encounter..."

She snorted a little, and returned to her sewing. He decided against watching her, as no doubt the weight of his gaze would make her feel as though she was required to make a choice, but he glanced at her every few minutes as she frowned over the seam.

"You have a lot of experience doing... that?"

He inclined his head slightly; that was putting it mildly.

After a minute, she drove the needle into the cloth and stood up, coming around the table to stand next to him. He looked at her, and waited patiently.

"I want you to stay," she said simply. "I... liked that feeling. But... You'll have to teach me more about it. I know there's a lot I don't know."

He let the slow smile spread across his face, and couldn't help the warmth that crept in when she blushed and flicked her gaze away. Very gently he caught up her hands, pulling her closer to him.

"I believe I can do that," he agreed.

Then he kissed her very softly.

* * *

 _As ever, the smut version can be found over on AO3._


	5. Four

Four

"-so to make sure this human gets back through the whateverspace,"

"Psuedospace," Kimiko said, amused.

"Yeah, that. Anyways, to do that, Pops is actually letting me go to Ningenkai to make sure the stupid human gets back where he belongs."

Kimiko nodded a little, smiling wryly at her brother.

"Are you going to explore?"

"Fuck yes!" Yusuke replied, bouncing on his toes. "You know how _long_ I've been badgering him to let me get anywhere outside the palace! I don't even care if I have to take Hokushin and the Monkettes with me, I'll get to see something _new_."

"I'm surprised you're not complaining about the human," she said with a teasing smile. "You guys had a fight?"

"Yeah, well, he called me a shrimp, so I had to kick his ass on principle, you know?"

She snorted, shaking her head.

"You're weird, Yuu," she said affectionately. "You'll have to tell me all about it."

"...yeah, about that... Pops says time's different between here and there. It might...be a few days, or so before we sync up."

Kimiko's amusement fled. She couldn't recall a time when she'd ever _not_ been able to reach her brother in this dreamspace, and the idea that it was possible wasn't palatable.

"I promise I'll get back here as soon as I figure out where the idiot Kuwabara lives and dump him off, though," Yusuke said swiftly.

After a moment, she shook her head, taking a breath.

"No, you should explore," she said, determinedly cheerful. "Ningenkai is where Mother is from, you should take this chance to look around, especially since you don't know when Father will let you travel through again."

"...well, yeah, but..."

"Yuu, I'll be okay," and she rubbed her nose a little in embarrassment. "I... Kurama came back this afternoon. He says... he wants to help. Help me."

Yusuke quirked an eyebrow. Kimiko sighed.

"I know you want to rescue me, Yuu," she said softly. "And I know you trust Raizen. But... I have a hard time deciding who's right. I'm stuck waffling between, and... and if you turn out to be wrong, if _I_ turn out to be wrong, right now I don't have the skills or abilities to... to do much about it. I don't have the skill to defend myself in a fight, let alone the energy to prevent one."

"...this is about the bullshit Satori's said, isn't it?"

She made a face.

"Yuu, I desperately want to trust you, but if Raizen only shows you one facet, who's to say my arrival would be anything good? I don't... I don't want anything bad to happen, and I don't want to be a disappointment."

"Sis... I'm pretty damn sure he won't _care_ if you're... untrained and all that. He _knows_ you're been locked up for the past two decades, so it's not really gonna matter that much..."

Kimiko sighed.

"But _I'll_ care," she said a little mournfully.

"Agh, no. No tears!" Yusuke yelped, waving his hands frantically. "Okay, okay! Your thief can train you or whatever he's doing! But I gotta meet this guy at some point!After I get back and all! Promise?"

She smiled a little, wryly; really, she hadn't been about to cry. Whine a little, maybe, but this was too serious for an attempt at fake tears. The fact that he didn't seem terribly insulted by the way that she had trouble weighing his words against Satori's helped.

"He's said that if you can come up with a neutral spot not too close to the palace then yes, he'll meet with you."

Yusuke snorted a little and folded his arms.

"Good. About damn time we start actually getting somewhere in finding you," he grumped.

Kimiko laughed softly, and hugged her brother, ruffling his hair fondly.

"If you ask nice, he might even bring you to the tower. He showed me a way to make an air cleanser, one that should, theoretically, make it impossible for Satori to tell if other people have come by."

"Theoretically," Yusuke said skeptically. "What're you gonna do if it doesn't work?"

"...probably panic," Kimiko admitted with a shrug.

"Yeah, cause that does so much."

"What else _can_ I do, Yusuke? Satori can flatten me if she wants, and that's why I'm agreeing to let Kurama give me actual training."

He made an exasperated sound, but there really wasn't much to be done about it, and they both knew it.

"If it gets too bad, if things go horribly, horribly wrong, I promise, I'll put on the bracers and you or Father can track me down. But if things stay calm, it'll give me... a chance. Maybe... maybe I can get stronger, for once. Not be so scared."

He sighed and scruffed his hair irritably.

"Well, if it's what you wanna do... Gotta say, Sis, that's a first for you."

"What is?"

"Making a big choice," he smiled wryly, a little mockingly.

"Yuu, I _will_ smack you," she huffed. "It's not exactly my fault that I've never really had big choices to make. I mean... what. Give my power to Satori or jump out a window and suffer a fall that would probably kill me? Some choice!"

"Yeah, but you had that one chick a few years ago that managed to make it back a few times. You fought her a lot more than you're fighting this thief."

"Yusuke, she didn't even broach the subject of me leaving until the day that Satori caught her," Kimiko replied irritably. "And the immediate demonstration of _why_ that would be a bad idea..."

She pushed the memory away before it could touch the dreamscape, shivering a little. That scream...the horrible, drawn out scream. Yusuke seemed to realize, at least, that he was pushing to hard, and raised his hands lightly.

"Okay. So, I go drop off Kuwabara-the-dumbass in Ningenkai, come back and meet your thief, and then maybe meet you too?"

"...Yeah," Kimiko nodded a little. "Something like that, anyways. Apparently there's a whole host of things he wants to teach me. He even brought me a few books to study when he can't come by. Which, to be certain, is going to be dangerous anyways..."

"He's pretty powerful, right? I mean, he did make it through the exit traps and all the way to your place..."

"You're asking the wrong person," Kimiko said wryly, feeling calmer now that Yusuke was more intent on the moment than the past. "I'm not good at sensing energy."

"Not _yet_ ," he corrected. "But we'll get that sorted out, yeah?"

She blinked for a moment, then smiled.

"Yeah," she said affectionately. "So you have fun on your trip, because by the time you get back _I'll_ probably be the one whining about training."

It was Yusuke's turn to laugh and mess up her hair. She squawked and pushed him off fondly, and like the children that they still were, they fell to wrestling playfully.

* * *

"-so hold back for now," Yusuke said, hands behind his head. "Sis has a semi-functional plan, and we don't want anything tipping off the bitch and wrecking it. I'll get in contact with this guy when I get back, and we'll see how things've changed at that point."

"Are you sure this is wise, Lord Yusuke?" Hokushin asked.

"Fuck no, but Sis made a choice, so I'm gonna back her. She promised if it got all fucked up she'd put on the bracers and we could find her that way, but pretty sure if it gets _that_ fucked up, all we're gonna find is a damned crater. So _do it_."

Hokushin sighed a little, but bowed in acquiescence. Yusuke huffed a little in irritation, then let his hands drop.

"So where's the idiot, anyways? I got up early for this bullshit, I don't wanna waste the time."

"We can always throw him out of bed, my lord..."

"...well, as long as he doesn't come out a window," Yusuke said after a moment, shrugging.

Hokushin bowed again, and left the courtyard briefly. Yusuke idled about, bored with waiting after only a few minutes, and decided to go and see where Kuwabara was for himself.

"Um, excuse me?"

He stopped, and glanced over. His eyes widened fractionally at the sight of a girl, not much older than himself in appearance, if much shorter. Green hair and red eyes, dressed in a manner that was way more stuffy and formal than this place warranted for sure.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you might not be able to help me?"

"Depends," Yusuke stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking her over more critically. "Whatcha want?"

"Well.. that's... complicated, I'm afraid."

"Yeah, not so sure complicated is gonna get you any help."

The girl looked uncertain, then her resolve firmed a little.

"I'm looking for my brother. He... he's my twin. He should have a hiruseki stone necklace. Have you seen anyone like that?"

"What's a hiruseki stone?" Yusuke asked, more curious than anything else now. "For that matter, who're you?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, I'm being terribly rude." the girl bowed a little, a blush on her cheeks. "I'm Yukina, from the Glacial village."

Yusuke blinked; that _almost_ sounded familiar. Like he ought to remember it, but then, studying about other demon races and lands had never really been his favorite thing to do. When she pulled a necklace out from under the collar of her kimono, he blinked again.

"That looks almost like a rurimaru stone," he said after a minute.

"Hiruseki stones are made from the tears of ice maidens, like me," and the girl smiled shyly. "I think rurimaru stones are mined?"

"Eh, you're probably right," and he shrugged lightly. "Can't say I've seen anyone with a stone like that, though. Sorry."

"Oh. I see." Yukina sighed a little, looking somewhat downcast. "I had hoped, with Lord Raizen's people being known for their skills, that maybe he might have found berth here, but..."

"D'you know anything else about him?"

She shook her head a little.

"No, I'm afraid not. He... was thrown from the village as a baby, for being born male."

"Say _what?_ "

"The Glacial village is only populated by other Koorime," and she looked down, hand hands clenching slightly in the fabric of her obi. "I only recently learned that I even _had_ a brother... So I thought I should come looking for him, but..."

"Dude, whoa, hey, no waterworks," Yusuke said raising his hands quickly. "That sounds pretty fucked."

Yusuke jumped about a foot when he got clocked upside the head, and actually skidded sideways a little.

"Don't use that kinda language around a lady, moron!" Kuwabara berated him. "What's wrong with you?!"

"Me? What the hell's wrong with _you?_ " Yusuke demanded, rubbing his head slightly. That had _almost_ hurt. "We were supposed to be out of here like ten minutes ago, where the hell have you been?"

"I was tending my armor and sword, like a proper samurai should," Kuwabara retorted, clearly trying to sound dignified. Yusuke snorted, and punched him in the ribs.

"Whatever, more like your lazy ass was still sleeping in one of my old man's guest beds. Hey, Hokushin!"

Hokushin, waiting unobtrusively to be noticed, came forward and bowed.

"Yes, Lord Yusuke?"

"You know anything about a guy wearing a hiru-whatsit?"

"Hiruseki," Yukina corrected, looking a bit stunned.

"Yeah, that-ow! Fuckdamnit Kuwabara, I can take you back to Ningenkai in a body bag too!"

He hadn't been stabbed, at least, but those gauntlets clearly had spikes or some shit on them because that blow had _hurt_.

"Is this... normal?" he heard Yukina ask as he threw himself at the annoying redhead human.

"Fortunately not," Hokushin replied. "Perhaps if you'd like to come this way, we can do something about this missing sibling of yours."

"R-really?"

"We have quite a bit of practice tracking down missing people. I cannot promise anything, but we will certainly give it our best try."

Yusuke nodded a little to himself, slamming a hard fist into Kuwabara's gut; Hokushin could handle the girl, _he_ would handle the human, and they'd get to Ningenkai before lunch.

* * *

Kimiko couldn't ever recall a time where she'd been so warm upon waking. While the weather in her part of Makai didn't change much and it never really got cold, it was also never really _warm_ either.

She rather thought she liked this warmth. Much better than just her blankets could produce, and-

The slightest huff of breath tickled her ear and she froze. Ah. Yes. That would be why she felt so warm; there was someone wrapped snugly around her. Someone... she frowned a little, and very slowly brought her hand down to the fluffy weight that crossed over her hip. Someone with a tail?

It was almost embarrassing at how long it took her to remember that she had asked Kurama to stay while she slept. She could do mornings with ease, much better than Yusuke did, but every now and then she had one where it took her brain a while to kick back in.

Most of the lampweeds appeared to have gone out during the night, and she couldn't tell if Kurama was awake yet or not. When she tried to slide out of his hold, his arm around her tightened slightly, indicating that he was indeed awake.

"Good morning," he murmured. "Aware now?"

"Yes, leggo, I have to pee."

He huffed an amused sound, but obligingly loosened his hold on her so that she could slip out of the blankets; she squeaked at the change in ambient temperature, snatched up the nearest piece of clothing that would provide a bit of modesty on the way back up, and scampered out to take care of her morning issues.

It wasn't until she was done washing up that she realized she'd grabbed his hakama instead of her own dress.

"...well this seems counter-productive," she muttered, even as she tried to wrap herself in it. "Much too big."

But it smelled like him. That was nice...

She shook herself lightly, making a face. Keeping him at arm's length wasn't possible, clearly, but she still had to be _careful_. Getting too attached would be a problem, especially when she couldn't be completely certain that his air cleanser would actually work against Satori's ability to discern when she'd had a visitor.

It took some finagling, and wasn't really warmer than the towels she'd dried off with, but she did manage to get the hakama on to a point where bits weren't popping out. It was, at least, only temporary... She still stopped short when she saw him already downstairs, half-dressed and standing in her kitchen.

This was definitely going to take some adjusting to...

* * *

"I'm tellin ya, you're not stayin here," Yusuke said, sitting on Kuwabara's back with one arm twisted into a lock. "You're _human_ , you need to go back to Ningenkai. Other demons will munch you up like last week's leftovers. You can't even take _me_ , and I'm only half!"

Kuwabara groaned a little, trying to lever himself up.

"I'll... pound ya... into the... floor," her grunted.

"You wish. Look man, it's cute that you got an instant crush, but she's not for humans. Or did you miss that part about the Glacial village throwing out her brother cause he was a guy?"

"She needs... help."

"Yeah, and Pops' people are some of the best at tracking," Yusuke shrugged a little. "Hell, even if they haven't actually found _my_ sister yet, they've found a shitload of other things. And people. Sis is just obnoxiously well-hidden."

"...you gotta sister?"

"Yup. You gonna try and hit me again if I get up?"

Kuwabara grumbled something under his breath that Yusuke decided was a negative, so he released the arm lock and got off the human's back.

Kuwabara sat up with a wince, rubbing at his shoulder.

"What happened to her?"

Yusuke shrugged and plopped down.

"Kidnapped when we were babies," he replied. "Sis has some weird power that the bitch who took her is obsessed with or something."

"Damn, man. That sucks."

"Eh," Yusuke shrugged a little. "Things aren't so bad. She's still alive, at least."

Kuwabara looked skeptical, but refrained from saying anything _too_ stupid.

"What about...?"

"Even if Hokushin doesn't know the guy, if the chick can offer pay, we can get word out. It's a big territory, sure, but there's lots of ways to pass messages on. So forget her, and let's get your stupid ass to Ningenkai already."

"How could I forget such beauty?" Kuwabara sighed dramatically.

Yusuke groaned a little, and aimed a punch at the human's head. Maybe they _wouldn't_ get to Ningenkai by lunch if he was going to say all this stupid mushy crap...

* * *

Kurama took back the bag of rurimaru stones before he left, having watched in unfeigned amusement at how Kimiko managed to squirrel away every piece of equipment he'd brought in his pack for her. The amount of nooks and crannies in her room was almost surprising, considering she didn't seem to have a terribly secretive nature.

"Practice," he said simply, lightly touching her face as he perched on the open window. "Mornings are safe?"

"As far as I know..."

She looked pensive, and he glanced out the window... it was a pity there wasn't any cover, he could have used that to stay and watch and learn Satori's routine.

"Be careful?"

It was almost an entreaty, and he glanced back at her, offering a small, amused smile.

"I will return."

Kimiko's expression suggested she was torn between hope and unease, so he simply tapped the end of her nose, then pushed off the window, dropping easily down the tower's height and bounding away.

He skirted away from the obvious entrance to the crater valley, choosing instead to leap up the more sheer walls and make it harder to trace him by aura or scent as he headed for the forest beyond. Ides and Shats were due back to report today, after all, and he would need to think up something to keep Yomi too busy to interfere. He was quite certain that if his second learned of Kimiko and her tower, things would go wrong much faster than they would go right.

The camp, when he reached it, was well fortified; good work for only a day and some worth of effort. He was hailed as he parted the plants, and they all crowded around for a look at the rurimaru he had retrieved. There was just enough for each bandit to have their own rurimaru stone, and even Yomi's irritable expression cleared when he received an icy blue stone of his own.

At his slight gesture, both Shats and Ides accompanied Kurama back to his tent. With the flap down and secured, the walls glowed softly, indicating that no eavesdropping would occur.

"Shats?"

The stone demon nodded.

"They know of you, or at least a few of them do," they said. "Raizen's son has mentioned you to his father and one of the monks, Hokushin. There is much whispering of the missing girl, and the son seems to have a way to contact her that the father lacks, though it hasn't yet provided him with access to her. The boy is currently distracted by a human that wandered in from Ningenkai, and a little koorime showed up not long before I left, seeking a missing sibling of her own."

Kurama nodded, then flicked a glance at Ides.

"Information reward; four hundred rurimaru," Ides said. "Originally one thousand. Actual delivery; small kingdom. Fifty by forty. Forest. Farmland. Plus rurimaru reward, two thousand."

Despite himself, his eyebrows went up, impressed by the size of the reward; Raizen very clearly wanted his child back. This would be useful in convincing Kimiko that her father _did_ want her for his own reasons, whatever they were.

"Anything interesting on why he's been trying so hard to get her back, even if such... efforts have not come to fruition."

"Lover's daughter," Ides shrugged.

"No one really knows," Shats shook their head slightly. "The kids just appeared, and then the one got grabbed a few weeks later. Raizen's had em scrambling ever since. And he's trained the kid that got left like nobody's business; for a half-demon, he's _strong_."

Kurama nodded a little; Kimiko hadn't been able to wax eloquent on her sibling's successes, only knowing that he was far stronger than she was—at least as far as physical strength and fighting skill were measured. He did, of course, have a basic physical description to gooff of... but he wasn't about to tempt fate by walking into the palace. He would give it a few days, since the boy—Yusuke-was supposed to go off to Ningenkai anyways, then return to Kimiko and see what she had managed to gain.

"Boss, _have_ you found her?"

Kurama shrugged lightly.

"I would not wish to risk the wrath of Lord Raizen if I am incorrect," he replied, sidestepping the question. "Speak of these things to no one, not even Yomi. We do not need an incident."

Both demons shuddered; Yomi's reckless exploits had gotten several people killed already, for little profit. Between the threat of Raizen's retribution for a false lead, and the idea that Yomi could very well get them _all_ killed, Kurama was fairly sure they'd both stay silent.

"Send in Yomi, and whoever has been to the nearby town to rumor hunt," he instructed, going and pushing open the tent flap to cancel the spell. "We will refrain from another palace theft for now, but this area no doubt holds many older ruins. Something must yet remain in them."

Ides nodded, Shats saluted, and they both left the tent.

* * *

"Dude, you were going on and _on_ about your finance last night," Yusuke said in abject exasperation as he poked Kuwabara with a stick to make sure he hadn't _actually_ killed him. "I almost punched you out to make you shut up, remember? K..Ke.i.. Whatever..."

"Oh, yeah, Keiko," Kuwabara sighed a little, almost mournfully. "I've known her since we were kids..."

"Yeah, kinda the _other_ reason your ass needs to get back to Ningenkai. Not moon over a koorime who probably isn't gonna give you the time of day."

He got a baleful glare for that one, but Kuwabara was too beat up at the moment to really try and punch him again. Probably for the best, considering Yusuke had almost broken his arm twice now. And dislocated his shoulder... also twice. He had to give the human props for having the balls to shove his arm back in the socket both times though; he knew how that felt.

"She looks so... frail though."

"Dude, clearly the air here is affecting what tiny brain you might have," Yusuke grunted a little. "Hey, To'o, help me haul this idiot up so we can get out of here already."

The sooner he got this crazy moron back to his own world, the better.


	6. Five

Five

Two days without dream-visits made her feel somewhere between anxious and depressed; Kimiko herself hadn't quite realized how much she relied on Yusuke's presence to make her feel not so alone.

So when Kurama leaped through the window not long after she'd eaten breakfast, she brightened immediately. While she managed to resist the urge to hug him, it was close, and she had half-bounced to her feet just with the idea. She didn't even care that it meant she was probably going to be pushed through exercises that would tire her out, just having company that _liked_ her was welcome.

Or, well, she _thought_ he liked her.

"You seem pleased," he said, his tone somewhere between surprised and amused.

"Yuu's off in Ningenkai... I haven't seen him in two days, so it's been..."

"Ah. I see. I would assume that your enthusiasm also means we do not have to worry about your caretaker?"

Kimiko nodded, unable to keep from smiling.

"It worked just like you said. She noticed the difference in the air, and I told her the bite of it was nice, so she left it alone. I mean, she's probably suspicious of it, but she can't _prove_ anything. Not without being here..."

Her enthusiasm drained away slightly, because that was a very real threat. If Satori became _too_ suspicious, it was entirely likely that a trap could, and _would_ be set.

Fortunately enough for her turn of mind, Kurama reached over and lightly touched her cheek, sending a faint spark across her nerves and earning her immediate attention. It wasn't his power, she felt that almost instinctively... it was just his touch.

And that was worrying in and of itself.

"When will she be by?"

"Ah..." Kimiko glanced at the clock. "Ten to twelve hours from now, roughly. For an hour, maybe two. She said she would bring me more fabric and some pictures of other clothes. She does this sometimes, when I get the urge to make something different... And the money from the necklace is probably going to last a while, so she'll be a bit more generous if I ask for something."

"Make something different?"

She made a face.

"I tried making pants. I made very bad pants."

The blandly neutral expression was, she thought, a very good indication of his amusement. At least he was trying to be polite; Yusuke would have laughed his ass off if she'd tried to show them to him. He would have gotten thumped for it, but he still would have laughed.

"Satori says that if I _must_ make pants, at least I should avoid wasting good-quality cloth with my experimentations, and also get more references _of_ pants. She did this when I started sewing too, actually... I had lots of test fabric, and she showed me artwork of kimono, and things like your hakama. Most of them were really fancy, so I ended up kind of making up my own ideas..."

Absently she smoothed her gown; it wasn't bright or colorful, but it was serviceable, and that was sort of the point.

"I see. And she won't wonder where the interest in pants will come from?"

Kimiko shook her head a little.

"I told her I was feeling colder than usual lately, and I wanted another layer, one that wouldn't hamper me the way two or three skirts do. I mean... I keep this place clean, so I've climbed up into the rafters," and she gestured up, "to dust them and all. Never fun getting up or down. She seemed to accept it."

A faint, almost invisible, dubious expression crossed his face. Kimiko just shrugged slightly.

"I know it's thin, but... I kind of panicked. I hadn't thought about that, and I grabbed the first excuse I could come up with."

He sighed a little, then reached over and lightly rested a hand on her head. Warmth fizzed up in her chest, even as she was quick to push his hand off in a display of mock-annoyance.

"I am not your arm rest," she said tartly.

He blinked, then huffed in clear amusement, and this time actually ruffled her hair. She gave him the indignant squawk, which seemed to be what he'd wanted, then fussily fixed her hair.

"Meanie."

He was smiling, and it was far more warm and relaxed than anything she'd seen thus far. Even knowing she shouldn't, Kimiko was starting to feel like it was already too late to avoid caring for him.

"Let us then go through the two exercises I showed you the other day, and see how well you do."

"...that sounds vaguely ominous," she muttered, but obligingly, carefully, stepped into the stance.

* * *

He had to give her credit for stubborn perseverance. Or perhaps it was hope. Either way, while Kimiko hadn't _mastered_ either exercise, she was able to perform both of them to some degree of fluidity, and was quite willing to accept instruction on how to improve. While most of his bandits had come to him already knowing how to fight, those that hadn't had often whined about being forced to practice such skills.

She certainly didn't seem inclined to let her affection for him—clear enough to his eyes, even though she was also just as clearly trying to avoid it—color her opinions either; he was peppered with questions, and found himself moderately surprised at the somewhat scathing and sarcastic attitude she sometimes displayed when his answer didn't actually provide the information she wanted.

He had wondered if he might regret making this choice, but he was finding himself more and more pleased he had.

"How _do_ you get up there, without any rope?" he asked as he observed her form, moving slowly through the moves. "Elbow in."

She tucked her elbow in a little more, then flicked a glance up.

"I shimmy up the middle," she said, panting a little. Even slow, the practice was plainly taking a toll on her limited stamina. "Sometimes I climb the walls and jump. Neither way is fun, but I haven't broken anything yet."

"So there has never been any sort of rope? Your right foot is out too far, bring it in a little."

"Nope." Again she adjusted position, this time with a faint wince. "Yuu thinks it's both because she thinks I could try and use it to get out, or, if I got desperate enough, to hang myself. I told him he was an idiot, but I have to admit, now that I'm older, I could see the appeal..."

Kurama blinked at her, and she flicked a glance his way, then smiled wryly.

"To escape," she clarified.

He wasn't quite certain she was telling the whole truth.

He circled around in front of her as she moved into the next form, starting with a high kick, and promptly fell over with a yelp.

"...stupid _skirt_." she muttered.

He hid a smile; true enough, her skirt simply did not have enough give for her to properly execute the moves.

"When I next come, I will bring you a version of this," he said,lightly plucking at his hakama as she picked herself up with a wince. "It will make this... easier."

"Fewer bruises would be nice," she grumbled, rubbing her shoulder lightly.

"Undoubtedly so." He watched her for a moment as she looked down at the offending garment, then speculatively over at her kitchen knives. "Before you consider anything too drastic that would be noticed, come here."

She did, and he wondered if it was a mark of trust or curiosity that she had done so without fuss. When he picked her up, she squeaked and wrapped her arms around his neck in reflex. When he turned towards the window, he felt her go very still.

"What're you doing?"

"We are going outside," Kurama replied, his tone even.

"I don't think I really-"

She yelped as he simply leaped out the window, and pressed her face against his neck, swearing profusely as he dropped lightly to the ground some eighty feet below, then bounded across the empty ground of the crater, tucking her close as he made for the outer wall. He felt her shift slightly, once, then go back to hiding her face, even as he swearing became more creative.

It wouldn't do for her scent to be found immediately outside the tower, but once they were outside the rim of the crater, on one of the established paths that hid the tower from view he stopped, and eased his hold on her slightly.

The fact that she didn't relax her grip, uncurl from her somewhat balled up position, or even lift her face was somewhat amusing.

"Kimiko..."

"No way in hell."

"We are well away from the tower," he said patiently. "I rather doubt your caretaker has come along this path."

As nice as it was to have her pressed tightly up against him like this, he _had_ done it for a reason. He just needed her to loosen her grip a little bit, and see what he wanted to show her.

It took almost fifteen minutes of patient waiting before she very slowly unwound, gingerly stretching her bare toes out towards the ground. When she was down, one hand wrapped in the fabric of his hakama, she punched him. It didn't hurt, nor was it really that surprising; he refrained from smiling though, quite certain that this was a moment where she would be easily predictable, and probably punch him again. Which, if he was being fair, he certainly deserved for startling her.

Instead, he very gently turned her to face the edge of the forest, and watched her face.

Her eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped open; awe writ loud over her features. She stared at the forest, glanced up at him, then went back to staring.

"...I have never seen so much green in my life," she said softly.

Compared to the dull browns and grays of the tower, he was quite willing to believe that, and it made him feel just the slightest bit more pleased that he'd pulled her out. True, this was still a limited palette of colors—deep greens and dark browns, no flowers or fruit in sight—but it was decidedly better than what she'd lived with.

And then she looked up, and her grip on his hakama tightened fractionally; a sky she had seen for years from out a window was little comparison to the grand expanse he knew now hung above her. Very gently he tipped her head back down to the forest, but her eyes kept traveling up, and she shrank closer to him.

It didn't help that not more than a few moments after, something crashed heavily through the trees and brush, startling her badly enough that she not only jumped back against him, she tried to climb him as though _he_ was a tree. He steadied her, swallowing the amusement that her reaction elicited; laughing even slightly would be unkind, as unused to this as she was. While she might see the humor in it in a few days, right now, it wouldn't be worth the trouble.

"C... can we go back now?" she asked in a tiny voice.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, hiding her face against his shoulder and shivering a little. Well, for a first trip, she had lasted several minutes, and he _had_ pulled her out unceremoniously. So he adjusted her slightly to a more secure position, then turned and headed back for the tower. He felt her glance up when he paused at the base, then heard her breathless squeak when he simply leaped up the intervening distance. Once back in the tower, he loosened his grip,and she dropped to the floor with an unmistakably relieved sigh.

"Please don't do that again," she said, sounding more worn than anything else.

"Next time I will ask," Kurama replied, tipping his head lightly.

She made a slight face, no doubt at his comment of 'next time', then shook her head a little and made for the room where he knew her bathing things were. In the interest of giving her some privacy to collect herself, he moved to the kitchen to see what he could put together for a suitable lunch.

* * *

Ningenkai was nothing like what Yusuke had imagined. For one thing, there was a _lot_ more color in even just the smallest areas; it was spring according to Kuwabara, and all the fruit trees were in bloom. Cheery trees and plum trees dripped with small, fragrant flowers, covered in the soft green of new leaves.

The air was softer too, filled with all kinds of new scents, most of which Yusuke couldn't actually remember smelling before.

It had been almost a week since they'd emerged for To'o's portal, and while Kuwabara still seemed a bit mournful at the idea that he couldn't see Yukina, regular sparring—or in some cases, beatings—with Yusuke seemed to do wonders for cheering them both up.

Yusuke _almost_ didn't miss seeing his sister at night. Almost. He was definitely going to have to bring her here, though, once he got her out of that stupid tower. Even knowing the time discrepancy, he couldn't help but wonder how her training was going. Maybe he should have met that fox thief _before_ he'd left...

"Lord Yusuke, perhaps we should consider returning soon," To'o said quietly. "Lord Raizen-"

"Hey, Pops said I could get the human back where he belonged, and _he_ says we're not that close yet. Besides, do you _want_ him accidentally following us back to Makai again?"

To'o sighed, glancing around warily. He was taking his part as bodyguard quite seriously, which was almost annoying. While there might have been some powerful humans in the realm, he sure as shit hadn't felt any; mostly he'd felt low-level demons who hadn't had the balls to make trouble for him, and he wasn't going to pretend to be intimidated by a threat that wasn't there.

Still, getting back soon _would_ probably be a good idea.

"Hey, Kuwabara, how much farther is it, anyways?"

"Why, you getting tired?~"

Yusuke glared.

"I will put you through one of those trees you like so much," he threatened. "Just tell me, asshole."

"Hey, it's not _my_ fault your stupid portal stuck us days away from home," Kuwabara retorted.

"...You don't know, do you?" Yusuke said, giving him a hard stare.

Kuwabara spluttered briefly, then sighed in annoyance.

"If we could get to Heian-kyo, I could figure it out," he grumbled.

"We are going in the exact wrong direction if your goal is Heian-kyo and the surrounding provinces," To'o said, sounding vaguely annoyed.

"Seriously?" Yusuke groaned. "Damnit, man, why didn't you say that like... three days ago? I am not nature-walk dude!"

"We can make the trip faster," To'o said, with calculated indifference.

Kuwabara looked at both of them, and Yusuke smirked; while the human probably didn't have the stamina to run for days without sleep, _he_ sure as hell did, and at this point, was quite willing to stop staring about as long as they ended up going the right damn way, to the right damn place.

"Let's do that," Yusuke said.

"Wait, wha-aaaaaagh!"

Yusuke snickered as To'o simply hoisted Kuwabara over his shoulder and they took off running back the way they'd come.

* * *

"It's my energy," Kimiko muttered concentrating fiercely. "My... energy..."

After the late lunch, they had moved on to the less physical side of things. Vile taste aside, Kimiko had to admit that whatever Kurama's energy restoration thing was, it really did do the trick. It didn't explain the oddities of the heavier power that was... somehow distinct from her more natural energy, but it did boost both of them enough that she could at least try to grasp the basics of energy manipulation.

It was also something she could do that didn't involve much talking to Kurama. While getting out was mildly instructive, she hadn't appreciated it in the _least_ that he'd simply bodily hauled her out the window. Logically she knew she wouldn't fall up into the sky, but seeing it spread out over head was a _lot_ different from seeing it out the window.

So she was giving him as much of a silent treatment as she could, and didn't much care that it was a somewhat childish and petty response. He seemed to be taking it in stride at least; while she could feel the steady weight of his gaze, other than a few comments on how it might feel to tap her own energy, consciously, he was staying silent.

….well, to be fair, that didn't mean much. Laconic seemed to be his default state.

Healing was different, a natural reflex of hers that was mostly triggered by someone nearby with an injury. Instinct told her just how to touch the power then, but it wasn't a conscious choice.

Which was probably why this was giving her such difficulty, really. Without the benefits of being face with a wound, she was fumbling around in the dark.

"There is such a thing as trying _too_ hard," Kurama finally said, his voice breaking easily through her attempts at blanking her mind. "Forcing it only works a small portion of the time, usually in the most dire of situations."

Kimiko made an annoyed sound, though she blinked her eyes open when he stood and moved into the kitchen.

"I will make several doses for you, and you can practice on your own," he said, poking around in her jars for empty ones. "You may simply need the time to become used to actually feeling more then dregs of energy before you can call it forth."

Annoyingly enough, that sounded logical. Satori pulled her power away with every visit, leaving only just enough to allow her to remain on her feet. While it did replenish during the night, it was slow, barely more than the dregs he named it.

"They will come to no harm hidden under your bed, though after a week, they will lose their potency," he continued. "I should be back well before then, of course."

A thought had her glancing at the clock, and she blinked, surprised at how late it had become. It was probably for the best that he was preparing to leave, even making her these last mixtures as he was. After a moment she abandoned her stool and moved closer to him; practically speaking, she was there to renew the liquid mixture that steamed lightly over one of her heating stones. Impractically speaking, she just wanted to be close to him for a few minutes before he had to leave.

As if sensing this, his tail twitched lightly as she passed, brushing softly over her bare arm. She managed to stifle the faint shiver, and hid the tiny smile... barely. It wasn't, after all, an apology.

Still, the silence that hung between them was that same oddly comfortable one that didn't require words. And it was admittedly fascinating to watch him simply conjure up the plants he needed, even knowing that her skills would probably never lie in _that_ particular domain. Disappointing, since it would come in handy, but there wasn't too much she could do about it right at the moment.

"You will practice?"

"I'll practice," she said, keeping her voice as neutral as she could.

He stoppered the bottles, laying them in a neat row on the counter, touched her lightly on the head, then left out the window.

Kimiko sighed, rearranged the shelf so that the missing jars weren't noticeable, then took the ones he'd used up to her room, frowning a little. Would it really have killed him to _ask_ her before jumping out of the tower like that? The falling sensation wasn't pleasant, no more had the running or leaping been.

And that _sky_. So much of it, so _empty_ overhead. She could—and did—tune out the occasional crack of lightning and roll of thunder, but she hadn't quite expected there to be so _much_ of it.

Stowing the bottles under her bed, she sighed, then leaned against the baseboard wearily; Makai was a world that wouldn't treat beings like her with care. Even without Satori overtly saying as much, that hadn't been hard to figure out. The way Raizen trained Yusuke so thoroughly was another point on the map that kept telling her she wouldn't ever be ready for leaving the tower...

She drew her knees up to her chest, suddenly filled with uneasy doubt. Maybe Kurama was wasting his time with this... maybe _she_ was wasting her time on thinking she could be anything better than what she currently was.

Resting her chin on her knees, she sighed tiredly, and briefly wished that Yusuke was back from Ningenkai. His blunt honesty would have been a good and refreshing opinion, as would hearing him go on about the world he was currently in.

After a moment she gave herself a mental shake and got up; she still needed to set up a warming stone and dish in her bedroom, in case Satori got too suspicious. After that... well, she didn't much care if it made Satori wary, she was tired, and was going to have an early night, damnit.

At least while she slept she could pretend that she wasn't half as alone as she was suddenly feeling.

* * *

"So this is a human city?" Yusuke said, looking around with interest. "Not too different from Pops' place, really."

It had taken them three days to reach Heian-kyo, ignoring Kuwabara's complaining the entire way. The human hadn't even _slightly_ appreciated the fact that their travel time had been cut in half moving the way they had, and was still casting them both glares,even as he walked confidently through the streets.

Heian-kyo was pretty large, a sprawling city filled to the brim with noise and smells; humans and animals in close proximity, different types of foods, plants, carts pulled by lumbering oxen, men occasionally riding by on slender-legged horses.

It was strangely familiar, and oddly comforting. True, things weren't _identical_ to how things happened in Tourin palace, but the amount of people,or business that was taking place? Yusuke had seen quite a bit of that his whole life. Tourin palace was _never_ truly silent, after all.

The weirdest part was probably just how... weak the humans were. Not a single one of them seemed to recognize there was a demon and a half-demon in their midst, nor did they seem at all concerned with the idea that there _might_ be.

"Lord Yusuke, by now we are surely well past your father's limit on patience," To'o murmured, eyeing Kuwabara with clear irritation. "We can't even properly track the amount of time we've been away, after all."

"Ah, relax. If Pops gets impatient, we'll know."

"...that would be what I am trying to _prevent_ , Lord Yusuke," To'o sighed. "Lord Raizen's temper is not to be trifled with..."

Well, sure, Yusuke knew that. He just didn't _care_ at the moment. Kuwabara stopped so suddenly that he almost plowed into him from behind, making Yusuke swear irritably at the human for a minute.

"What the hell, man?"

"...if I go back without something to relax both my sister _and_ Keiko, I'll get mutilated," Kuwabara replied with a slight wince. "I mean, I did kind of just disappear on em. Keiko's gonna be bad enough, but Shizuru's likely to beat me with a broom."

Yusuke snickered a little.

"Shizuru's your sister, huh?"

"Yeah," Kuwabara nodded. "Older sister. She's uh... pretty forceful."

It was almost funny how many people with siblings he was running into now that he was so close to finding his own.

"Lessee... That shop," Kuwabara said, pointing at one that looked as though it sold fans and combs. "I should have enough on me ta get somethin for both of 'em."

"Ugh, I'll pass," Yusuke replied with a grimace, lacing his hands together behind his head. "How much farther is it to your place from here anyways?"

"Another week, if it doesn't rain."

"Another _week?_ Dude, why're we even _stopping_ here if it's going to take that long?"

Okay, so maybe he was missing his own sibling a bit more than he'd wanted to admit...

"Nothin's scarier than an angry sister," Kuwabara said solemnly.

For once, Yusuke couldn't argue. After a moment, when To'o discretely slid him the contents of several human's money pouches, he followed the samurai into the shop to reluctantly look over the carved combs. Because if _he_ was feeling the lack, _Kimiko_ definitely had to be.

* * *

Kimiko perused her sketches with a small frown, critically holding up her third attempt at crude pants to compare to the drawing. By all rights, working on her own projects was slacking on what Kurama wanted her to do, but she was still nursing a tiny grudge, and besides, Satori had brought her lots of sketches and even more fabric to play with.

These ones looked better, at least. More like they would hold up to his idea of usable clothing. True to his word, he _had_ brought a smaller set of the clothes he typically wore, which was now hidden away in her closet, but he hadn't stayed long after, citing the need to get back and have a long talk with his second.

It almost made her reconsider her tiny grudge.

Almost.

She looked out at the sky again and shivered a little, then shook her head. She knew she was going to _have_ to go back out there at some point, if only to reach Raizen's palace, but she had no real desire to do it if she could avoid it. So far, she had avoided it quite well.

But admittedly after a further two days of no dreams shared, and no real company, she was definitely feeling the bite of loneliness. She would have given a lot to see her brother, just for a few minutes. Even going out under that endless sky would have been worth the vertigo, just to see him.

Given the energy-null-zone she seemed to be in, she found it strange and a little frustrating that she couldn't seem to even _sense_ when someone was approaching. That, according to Kurama—and Yusuke, back when he'd first learned it—didn't take a lot of ambient power. So as much as it annoyed her, it didn't actually _surprise_ her when her tower was invaded through the window. At least this time she was facing the proper direction, and could accurately see her visitor.

Kurama had been the tallest, next to Satori. This demon was definitely the shortest, dressed in black and brown, with a sword visible on one hip, and a white bandage on his forehead. Spiky black hair seemed to be trying to make up for his size, and crimson eyes immediately locked on her face with suspicion.

"Who're you?" he demanded.

 _"You're_ the one invading _my_ tower," she retorted. "You tell me who _you_ are first."

He certainly didn't seem _injured_ , and if he wasn't hurt, there was no reason for her to be involved with him.

He sneered a little instead, then turned towards the kitchen where she'd left the remains of her lunch; some easy stew and bread, with a hard cheese rind. She had made to much, half-hoping Kurama would be by to share with her, but when he hadn't shown, she'd elected to save it for her dinner instead. When he moved as though he was going to take it, she shot to her feet and stomped over, grabbing him by the back of his cloak in a fit of irritation.

"Excuse you, but that's _my_ food, and I didn't invite you in, so you can-"

The sword came out, and flicked in her direction. She swore and yanked her head back far enough to avoid getting stabbed in the face, even as the blade opened a shallow cut across her nose and cheek

" _Fuck off_ ," she finished, yanking hard on the cloak to throw him back.

The fact that she could was almost surprising, but then, she did have almost a foot on him in terms of height. It certainly seemed to annoy him to be tossed away, and she planted herself between him and her kitchen. He glared at her, readying his sword again and she tensed slightly; she was absolutely not a fighter in any sense of the word, but she was in a bad enough mood that she wasn't inclined to put up with _any_ shit right now.

"Get out of the way," he said.

"Back the fuck off," she retorted. "Go make your own damn food if you're so hungry!"

His lip curled in a slight snarl, and she found herself wondering if this was how she was going to die.

The vines that wrapped around the angry demon were as much as surprise to her as to him, and she lifted her head, finding Kurama lounging on the window. His expression was somewhere between concerned, amused, and annoyed, and she felt her heart ease a little at the sight of him. Late was better than nothing, though she wasn't going to let him stay long if she could help it...

"What _is_ going on?" he asked, his tone mild.

"I have no damn clue. Tiny smartass over there jumped in, demanded to know who I was, tried to get my food, and reacted badly when I told him no," she replied, reaching up and absently dabbing at the slice on her cheek. It stung something fierce, though when she glanced at her fingertips, it didn't look to be bleeding badly. It was definitely going to be fun to explain, though...

Kurama's expression cooled noticeably when he glanced at the struggling demon, who had managed to get caught with his sword in the wrong position to cut free of the vines. Not that Kimiko though he actually _could_ cut the vines; they were as much Kurama's energy as they were a physical plant.

"He's not injured."

"I noticed," she said dryly.

"I could change that."

"Please don't." And she sighed a little raking a hand through her hair. "I really don't want to get stabbed if I have to heal him. That would _definitely_ be hard to explain."

The shorter demon, despite his struggling, actually paused for a moment to glare at them both.

"If you put down the sword and ask _nicely_ , I will let you have some food," Kimiko said, propping her hands on her hips.

"Why should I ask such a weak, pathet- _nnk._ "

"Kurama, don't break anything," and she sighed again. "It's not like arrogance is a _unique_ trait among demons."

While she was a little pleased that Kurama seemed to be taking exception to her being insulted, it wasn't like the small demon was saying anything she didn't already know. She _was_ weak, and pathetic was a fact as well. A few days worth of trying to train wasn't going to change that.

"We can start with a name," she said, turning her back on the small demon with calculated indifference...which was only possible because of how tightly Kurama had him bound. "I'm Kimiko, that's Kurama. Who're you?"

"None of your damn business."

"...that's a funny name. What parent hated you so much to give you _that_ as a moniker?"

She could _feel_ the heat from his glare even as she got down her one spare bowl and filled it with the rest of the soup.

"We'll have to give you a nickname, then," she shrugged lightly, and got out a spoon as well, then set both on her small counter and turned to face him once more. "Hmmm... Sunshine? Or... what about Mr. Bubbles?"

Kurama looked like he was fighting a smile, while the glare from the smaller demon only grew more incensed.

"Ooo, I know, Sparkle Bug!~"

" _Hiei_ ," he snapped.

Kimiko grinned.

"There, see? Was that so hard?"

If looks could kill, she probably would have been drawn and quartered. It was painfully tempting to see just how annoyed she could make him, but after a moment she decided it probably wasn't worth the effort.

"Ask me nicely, and you can have the food."

Hiei's glower simply increased, and Kimiko shrugged lightly, then ducked down into one of her cupboards for one of the more reflective cooking implements she had. She had no mirror, having never really needed one, but she really ought to check how bad the cut was.

The wavery reflection from the copper pot wasn't helpful, but she _thought_ it looked like a fairly shallow cut. She certainly wasn't bleeding profusely, at least.

"I mean, you can ask and get something to eat, then you can leave on your own two feet, or you can be a dick, and I can ask Kurama to _drag_ you out, no food, no answers to questions," she said after putting the pot back and frowning a little at the surly demon. "What's it gonna be, Sunshine?"

"...I would like some food," he ground out, clearly wanting nothing more than to stab both of them.

Kimiko raised en eyebrow.

" _Please._ "

Given that the word was almost a snarl, she was tempted to make him say it again, but after a moment she shrugged and nodded lightly at Kurama. Kurama didn't look terribly _willing,_ but the coils of the energy vines loosened, and Kimiko handed Hiei the bowl before he could regain enough feeling in his arms to engage with the sword.

"Are you hungry, Kurama?"

"No, thank you," he said, with enough pointed politeness that she had to smile. "Come here and let me tend to that."

Obediently, she moved towards him, ignoring the sounds of Hiei devouring the stew, part of her attention on wondering what she might make for supper now.

"You came late today," she said quietly as Kurama carefully tipped her head more into the light. "You shouldn't stay long..."

He brushed his thumb carefully along her cut and she hissed a little.

"Yomi is being particularly difficult, and not terribly helpful," he said with a faint frown, releasing her chin and moving over to the table where he quickly produced a few herbs to turn into a thin sort of salve. "Keeping him busy is what I should not have to spend my time doing, but unfortunately, I am. Hopefully one of the others will come up with a useful place for them to start working at getting into, or I may have to take a more drastic step..."

From the slight narrowing of his eyes, she wasn't sure she _wanted_ to know what that drastic step would be. Instead she moved back into the kitchen, put some fruit and the cheese onto a plate, and let Hiei have that next. He didn't _snatch_ the plate, which was an improvement, but he still looked moderately annoyed.

Kimiko just went and sat on her second stool, letting Kurama lightly smear the salve across her face and muttering a little at the sting of it, wondering what on _earth_ had led such a surly little demon to her tower.

"It will heal over soon enough. Hopefully before your caretaker arrives," Kurama said, leaning back after a moment. "I would like to return after she leaves, if there is no objection."

Kimiko blinked at him in surprise, then offered a slight shrug; he was sensible enough to not get himself caught, so she didn't see a problem with it.

"I'm looking for someone," Hiei said abruptly, earning her attention with his short-tempered bite.

Kimiko twisted around on her stool to face the small demon who looked at least neutral instead of overtly annoyed. Some of the attitude had to have been hunger, though she was willing to bet most of it was just his natural state of being. A small part of her thought he might be lonely, and using his scathing arrogance as a way to pretend he wasn't... she didn't ignore that thought, but she didn't focus on it either.

"So you came here?" She raised an eyebrow, feeling dubious.

"I was _led_ here," he grumped, sitting cross-legged on her floor, his cloak billowing out around him as he sheathed his sword with a hiss and click. "It was indicated to me that this place would be able to... get me to my next step."

Well, he wasn't telling her the full truth, but it was more than she'd expected to really even get out of him.

"Strange place to be led," Kurama said, his voice just a touch on the threatening side. "Very few people find this place on accident, let alone on purpose."

Hiei sneered at him a little, and Kimiko rolled her eyes at both of them.

"Tell me who you're looking for," she said, before an argument could break out. "There's no guarantee I've met them, but I do have visitors every now and again."

"A sibling," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Her people cast me out, but kept her."

"...very informative," Kimiko replied dryly. "Does she look like you? Anything distinctive about her clothes, hair, accessories? I can't help you if I don't know more details."

"...I don't know what she looks like. But she ought to have a hiruseki stone."

Kimiko blinked at him; she had no idea what that was, and glanced at Kurama, who had a speculative look on his face.

"Well, if you want the best seekers, you should visit Lord Raizen's castle," she said when Kurama neglected to speak. "Talk to Hokushin, give him the relevant information, and you'll probably have more luck."

"Hmph. Some help."

"I could have told you to go jump off a cliff, Sunshine," she retorted. "Lord Raizen's people have a lot of experience in tracking and rumor-gathering. If nothing else, they can give you a direction to go in, so you stop accosting strangers in towers, where visiting is generally considered a bad idea."

"...I will show you the way," Kurama said, startling both Kimiko and Hiei. "Come."

He turned towards the window, and glanced at Hiei who, after a wary minute, got up and followed.

Kimiko blinked after both of them, and wondered why she suddenly had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.


	7. Six

Six

Kurama led Hiei from the tower, his mind working rapidly; unlike Kimiko, he _did_ know what a hiruseki stone was, and had heavy suspicions that the sister Hiei was looking for was in the immediate vicinity of Raizen's palace.

What he _wanted_ to know was how the hell this tiny demon had found Kimiko's tower. Oh sure, there was the off-chance that it was an accident, but Hiei himself had admitted to being led there, that the tower would provide the next step in the hunt.

Who, or what, had led Hiei to that tower, indirectly putting Kimiko in danger?

They were far enough away now that he felt little compunctions about dropping into a small clearing and waiting for Hiei to land; the shorter demon cast a cautious and wary look around before focusing on Kurama, tensing visibly; he suspected his ire was showing.

"...this doesn't look like a palace," Hiei said, his tone arrogant.

"It's not," Kurama agreed. "We are about midway between the tower and the palace, and I require some answers."

"Hmph, I don't owe you anything."

"Really? Because I'm the one who knows that a little koorime walked into Raizen's palace less than a week ago, looking for her brother."

Crimson eyes flickered a little in surprise.

"You said you would show me the way."

Kurama inclined his head slightly, baring his teeth in an insincere smile.

"I didn't say when."

Hiei put a hand on the hilt of his sword, plainly ready to fight about it. Kurama looked at him coldly, assessing the threat he possessed. While there was no doubt he carried that sword like he knew how to handle it, Hiei was not a terribly _powerful_ demon. And they were literally surrounded by plants, a fact that Hiei seemed to recognize after a moment, slowly releasing the sword.

"So what do you want in return," he said ungraciously.

"Your promise of silence," Kurama replied. "Kimiko's situation is currently delicate. _Extremely_ so. Lord Raizen's people do not need to know anything about her. Not that you were helped by her, not where her tower is, _nothing_."

Hiei scoffed a little.

"And I want to know how you found her in the first place," Kurama finished, narrowing his eyes a little.

"That's none of your business, fox," Hiei sneered a little.

Softly, with all the deadly subtlety of his multiple centuries of life, Kurama started infusing the surrounding area with his energy. He wouldn't _kill_ Hiei, but he needed to know this secret.

"I'm afraid it is," he said, keeping his tone coldly polite. "As I said, her situation is delicate, and the more people know about her, the more precarious it becomes. So. Who or what brought you to the tower?"

Hiei's glance flicked to the various bits of greenery that were suddenly much more lively than they had been a few moments before, and his own eyes narrowed. Clearly unwillingly, he pulled off the white bandage on his forehead, revealing... a third eye? Kurama paused for a moment, warily as this third eye—a Jagan, if he was remembering correctly—cracked open slightly, revealing a purple iris.

"It's very good at finding things that other people want to keep hidden," Hiei said contemptuously. "What makes her so important?"

"...pray you do not find out," Kurama replied, allowing the threat of death by greenery to subside for the moment.

He doubted Hiei would remain ignorant for long if he went to Tourin castle, but as long as the other demon maintained silence on the matter, it would be fine.

"Hmph." Hiei retied the bandage to his forehead, tossing his head slightly. "Have your precious hurt feelings been assuaged? Or should I expect further threats of death until we part company?"

Kurama snorted a little, allowing a faint flicker of amusement to cross over his face; lower strength demons were really quite amusing when they were trying to pretend they weren't afraid. He rather liked that sort of brash attitude, though; despite Yomi's current idiocy, that was one of the things he found amusing about his second.

"So long as you keep your silence on her, there should be no need for them," he replied. "Now come. The palace is this way."

* * *

Kimiko made herself do the washing up to try and keep from fretting, absently brushing her fingertips over her cheek every now and again to try and estimate how much the small cut had healed. Worrying at it probably didn't help, but damned if she could stop herself. Physical reminders of altercations, strangely enough, made her feel calmer.

It certainly had been weird... Not that he'd thought the tower abandoned—most people did when they found it, after all—but the idea that someone or something had led him _to_ the tower, as a source of information? That was... well, _worrying._ Part of her hoped Kurama would get answers, while the other part worried what those answers might be.

More of her wondered how he was going to time things so that he and Satori weren't in the same area at the same time. Satori was as good at sensing energy as Kimiko was _bad_ , after all, and if Kurama was too close...

No, no, Kurama was the careful sort. The absolute opposite of her brother, who wouldn't know subtle if it bit him on the ass.

Damn but she missed Yusuke...

* * *

"You live in that?" Yusuke asked, his expression skeptical. "How the hell do you survive?"

"It's cool in the summer and snug in winter once we change the doors out," Kuwabara replied defensively. "You live in a mountain, what the hell does it matter to you?"

Yusuke shrugged after a minute; idiot or not, the human made a good point. The temperature in Toruin Castle and the surrounding area didn't change much either, so there wasn't really a need to change things beyond aesthetics. Which he personally found boring as fuck _anyways._

It wasn't a _terrible_ place to live. It looked pretty big, at least, and while he thought building in wood and paper was straight up _weird_ , That also seemed to fit humans in general. Certainly Kuwabara was a nutcase...

"Okay, remember, don't say nuthin about Makai," Kuwabara reminded him. "Sis'll probably buy it, but Keiko's totally normal, and she's already gonna be pretty upset..."

"Yeah yeah, fine," Yusuke shrugged, propping his hands behind his head. "How many times have you ended up in Makai anyways?"

Kuwabara coughed a little in embarrassment.

"It happens sometimes when I'm practicing," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sis thinks it's cause we've got some pretty strong spiritual senses, but I dunno..."

It sounded like the sort of thing his own sister would like to spend time theorizing about, so Yusuke filed it away under the long pile of other things he had to tell her when he made it back home. He really hoped he'd be able to meet her thief then too, because while he could certainly show her things in dreams, he was starting to realize how much an actual, _physical_ presence meant in terms of sincerity.

So he wasn't exactly focused on the human when the door was thrown open and a brunette came running out. He tensed, but she didn't seem to see _him_ at all.

"Kazuma!"

"Keiko!"

Kuwabara opened his arms wide—so much for Yukina, was Yusuke's derisive opinion—and the girl jumped into them, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"We've been so _worried!_ Where have you been? Did the lord ask you to go on another assignment for him again?"

"Uh, yeah? I mean, kinda... It's just one of those things, y'know?"

She pulled back a little, and Yusuke saw both relief and annoyance on her face.

"Well, next time he need to give some more warning!" she huffed. "I was really worried!"

"Sorry, Keiko," Kuwabara said sheepishly. "But y'know, he's the lord, so when he says jump..."

"I know, I know. The Kuwabara family takes its duties seriously," Keiko sighed and shook her head a little. "Shizuru's making dinner; I'll go let her know..."

Keiko paused. Blinked, then leaned around Kuwabara and stared in surprise at both Yusuke and To'o.

"...Kazuma? Who're they?"

"Oh, uh, they've been helpin me out, got me back here pretty quick, all things considered," Kuwabara said, putting a hand on the back of his head sheepishly. "That's Yusuke and To'o."

"Yo," Yusuke lifted his hand slightly.

To'o only bowed, and looked moderately put out; Yusuke knew full well that the monk-demon wanted to get out of Ningenkai and back to Makai, but he had to stick with Yusuke or risk Raizen's wrath.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm so sorry about being rude." Lightly she punched Kuwabara in the ribs, frowning up at him. "You big lunk... Shizuru's gonna scold you about manners again, you know."

Kuwabara laughed, blushing a little, then moved aside so that they could see her properly.

She was a pretty ordinary looking person all right. Brown hair and eyes, and a friendly sort of face, he supposed.

"Sorry. This is Yukimura Keiko, my fiancee," Kuwabara said, somewhere between embarrassed and proud. "That's, uh..."

"Just go with Yusuke," he replied with a shrug. "No big. And ignore To'o, he's only hear cause my old man would throw an earth-shattering fit if I'd tried to get this lug back on my own."

He could _feel_ the monk subtly glaring at the back of his head, and only shrugged again, smirking where To'o couldn't see; it was the truth, after all, every last word.

"Thank you very much for helping Kazuma get back. He always disappears so abruptly... Anyways, Shizuru's inside, I'll go ahead and let her know we're having a couple guests!"

Before Yusuke could protest, Keiko turned around and went back in. Not sure if he was annoyed or pleased, he scratched his head a little.

"C'mon," Kuwabara said, gesturing lightly. "I'll show ya around while Keiko saves dinner from Sis..."

"Bad cook?" Yusuke asked, feeling mildly empathetic; from everything Kimiko had lamented about that he could remember, she was pretty bad at it too.

"Eh, she's not... terrible, but Keiko's family runs one of the best places to eat around here, so she's _definitely_ better," Kuwabara replied, leading them around the moderately sized house to another building. "Dojo's this way..."

To'o paused as the building came into sight, and Yusuke glanced back.

"What?"

"...this plane is very close to Makai," To'o said after a moment, studying the garden they were currently in. Then he looked at Kuwabara. "With your family's inclination towards spiritual powers, suddenly I think I understand why you would end up in Makai more often than a typical human. If-"

A side door _slammed_ open with enough force to bring Yusuke and To'o around defensively... and then Kuwabara yelped as a broom impacted him solidly on the side of the head, spinning him into a nearby bush.

"Where the _hell_ have you been?!"

"Owie..." Kuwabara groaned. "Hi, Sis..."

Shizuru Kuwabara was both older, and decidedly scarier than her brother. Yusuke stepped carefully to the side as she jumped down off the porch, the broom held a lot more like a weapon than a cleaning implement; he had no plans on earning a swat of his own.

"You're not supposed to go off and _vanish_ like that, damnit!" Shizuru snapped, swatting Kuwabara back into the bush he'd been climbing out of. "D'you know how _hard_ it is to make up excuses people will believe when you're just mysteriously gone?!"

"It's not like I do it on _purpose!_ " Kuwabara protested, holding up his hands to try and catch the broom before it hit him again. "Yeow! C'mon Sis, it just happens! You know that!"

Yusuke was having a hard time _not_ laughing; no _wonder_ Kuwabara had been adamant about getting presents, if this was what sort of temper his sister had!

Shizuru swatted him a few times more, though not nearly as hard as the first hit, then stepped back, nodding firmly to herself. Yusuke shifted backwards just a little more when she turned to look at him and To'o; he'd fight a girl if she attacked, but he'd never thought humans could be so damn spooky.

"Thanks for looking out for my idiot baby bro while he was wandering around," she said, draping the broom back over one shoulder. "What took so long, though?"

"Hey, don't blame me for the weird way time behaves between here and home," Yusuke retorted. "Plus, he led us a week in the wrong direction! We'd still be wandering like idiots if To'o didn't know this country."

Kuwabara made an incoherent noise of protest, then shrank back into his bush as both Yusuke and Shizuru glared at him.

"Man, you keep treatin me like this and I'll give your present t'Keiko," he grumbled rebelliously.

Yusuke snorted a little as Shizuru's glare only intensified. The day had just gotten a whole lot more entertaining, and he was _definitely_ willing to stick around for a little while longer, just to see what would happen next.

* * *

It was dark by the time Kurama returned to the tower, carefully casting out with his senses to make sure that no one else was in the immediately vicinity before he entered the crater itself. Waiting had been necessary, but for perhaps the first time it had chafed on him, building into a small, fragile impatience. Enough of one so that when Yomi had bothered him about something, he'd snapped at his second—a first for both of them—and told him to go find something useful to do instead of complaining.

He knew for certain that the order was going to come back to haunt him, but he couldn't take the words back now. Hopefully, whatever Yomi chose to do wouldn't lose them too many people.

Hopefully.

The area seemed deserted, only the soft ebb of Kimiko's strange energy flickering in his mind's eye, so he darted across the ground and up into the tower, landing lightly on the wooden floor. He'd expected to see her maybe staring at the oven again, or bent over another sewing project... Possibly even in bed, having given up on waiting for him, considering how meager her energy felt.

He didn't expect to see her with her head pillowed on her arms on the table. She was completely passed out, which at least explained a little bit, but...

Strangely moved, he stepped closer to her, smoothing some of her hair away from her face. This girl had no reason to trust him, to wait up for him—especially not considering how unceremoniously he'd pulled her out of her tower the other day—and yet here she was, having plainly meant to do just that.

He sighed a little, and carefully picked her up; there would be no late-night conversations, it would seem, but perhaps she wouldn't mind too much if he curled around her while she slept. Given the way she shifted, curling into his hold with only a soft murmur, that didn't seem like too far-fetched of an idea.

He frowned down at her after a moment; up close she looked wan, and pale, and her energy wasn't as steady as he was used to. Shifting her lightly, he gently patted her cheek, and when that produced no reaction, he patted again, a little harder. This she responded to... by turning her face into his chest with an annoyed sound.

Kurama sat on the edge of her bed with a faint frown; this felt... almost worse than their first meeting, actually. Had Hiei's sword done something to her? He hadn't detected any poison in the wound or on the blade, but that didn't mean it hadn't been there. Or was this something else? The downside to the air-energy cleanser was that even his own sensitive nose couldn't detect any other scents...

He sighed a little, then slid sideways, sprawling comfortably at an angle on her bed and settling her snugly against him before wrapping her blankets around them both. Surely there would be an answer forthcoming after she woke up.

Wouldn't there?

The question kept him awake far longer than he cared to admit.

* * *

Having only ever slogged through things in her dreams, Kimiko wasn't entirely sure on what the concept was, but gods, did she feel it when she tried to wake up. It was _hard_ , and she most assuredly didn't entirely want to, but there was something pulling at her, trying to bring her into awareness. Something felt... different. Not _bad_ , just different.

Torn between waking up the rest of the way or simply rolling over and going back to sleep, she tried to run a mental tally on how she felt, and what felt off. She was... laying down? Well that was odd, hadn't she been sitting at the table after Satori had left the previous evening? How had she ended up laying down? She didn't hurt, so it couldn't be that she'd slid off the table, and that was nonsense anyways because she had been firmly...

"Awake yet?"

She jumped, and her eyes flew open; yes, she was definitely in her room, laying on her bed, wrapped snugly in her blankets... with Kurama tucked comfortably up beside her, clearly far more awake than she was. Especially according to his small, amused smile, though for a moment she thought... was he concerned?

"...no?"

He huffed a little in amusement, then leaned down slightly to nuzzle at her temple. Something about it made her feel... warm. Kimiko shifted slightly, turning a little so that she could tuck herself a little more against his chest, yawning. The initial startle had worn off already, and all she felt was sluggish and worn.

"Are you all right?"

"Mn..."

"Kimiko." Gently he shook her shoulder and she lifted her head slightly. "It is almost noon. Somehow, this seems very different from your usual...self. What happened?"

Almost noon? That was an issue, but it was hard to get up the enthusiasm to fuss about it; she was precisely _that_ tired.

"After you took Hiei away, Satori came," she mumbled, trying to condense the story to relevant bits so she could go back to sleep. "I guess something about him lingered because she asked if someone had been there. I... told her yes, but that I threw enough things at him to chase him off. I _think_ she bought it... She seemed annoyed, but not overly concerned."

She yawned again and found a slightly more comfortable position with her head tucked up against his collarbone. The fact that he didn't seem inclined to move her was nice...

"Your energy is at a far lower ebb than usual," he said—his voice was a pleasant rumble in his chest, very soothing. "Did she take your power with more... vigor than normal?"

She let her eyes drift closed again, even as she shook her head a little.

"She... actually didn't take anything last night. She doesn't, always. Just most times..."

Actually, Satori had been oddly solicitous, checking the tower over to make sure everything was where it was meant to be. Not a thorough examination, no, but the main room had been fairly swept, and she had even put together a tea for...

"Gave me tea to help settle," she said after a moment.

"Did you see what she put into it?"

She was not mistaking the concern this time; his touch to her face was almost delicate, and there was a note to the calm words that made her feel as though he was somewhat upset. It was sweet, but she didn't entirely understand why he was fussing.

"Mn... Just stuff I have on hand," and she yawned again. "M'fine. Just tired..."

* * *

She was already half-asleep again, seemingly unconcerned about the idea that her own caretaker might have subtly poisoned her. Kurama wanted to pick her up and lightly shake her, but at the same time, he didn't want to upset her unduly. Perhaps this had happened before, which was why she seemed to entirely unbothered by it...

Well, _he_ was bothered, damnit.

"You should at least wake up long enough to eat something," he said, nudging her gently back to awareness.

"Mmm... n'hungry," she mumbled, sounding more like a cranky and rebellious child than anything else. "Lemme sleep. I'll b'fine."

Kurama sighed, not entirely sure how to handle this situation. On the one hand, letting her sleep it off certainly didn't seem like it would hurt. She wasn't feverish, nor did she smell like she was ill. She was just... tired, and her energy felt muted. But it was that muted energy that worried him, and he wanted to at least _try_ to do something before it became too late and he needed to leave.

He eased away from her carefully, which earned him a sleepy complaint, wrapping her up in her blankets as he did so. If nothing else, she _did_ look fairly cute while she was curled up like that...

Shaking his head slightly, he proceeded carefully down the stairs to her kitchen; perhaps he was worrying over nothing. Kimiko didn't seem fussed, but then, she was also not exactly awake enough to _be_ fussed. With a sigh he started her kettle, and looked at the hanging plants she had; she was not at all knowledgeable about them, as he could see at least three separate combinations he could have made to poison her both slowly and quickly. Perhaps it was her intuitive healing that allowed her to keep them without worry?

So much yet that he didn't know about her, despite her startlingly forthright attitude. How much of that was simply because he wasn't asking the right questions, and how much of that was her own ignorance? It was almost a crime to keep someone so deliberately in the dark, as he had seen as many people survive by their wits as their brawn.

Perhaps it was simply because she was Raizen's child that Satori had kept information from her...?

Speculation was getting him nowhere, and he did not intend to linger when he did not know how regular Satori's scheduled visits _were_. He needed to get back and make sure Yomi wasn't causing a stir as well; a mutiny _probably_ wouldn't happen, but even so, it was better to be cautious in this particular endeavor.

One the water was heated, he mixed several herbs into a cup, then brought it upstairs. Coaxing carefully, he got her to drink it down, then let her return to her interrupted slumber; whether it was trust or simply some drug, it was still almost touching that she only made a minor fuss, and curled against him when the cup was empty.

The decoction itself was fairly harmless; he had thought of and discarded the idea of a purge, as it was much too late for that. Instead, it would pull any toxins down, and while she might wake with an urgent need to pee, it wouldn't do her any harm.

He stayed with her another hour, then kissed her forehead, intending to leave. The faintest blossom of that strange, heavy power coiled around him, and he blinked, wondering just what had caused that. Still so many questions left unanswered...

It was tempting to stay, to test that again, but after a moment he simply tucked her blanket a little more firmly around her, placed the cup where she could see it so she wouldn't forget to bring it down after she woke up, then slipped out of the room, and then the tower.

He would come back in the evening, and hopefully by that point, Kimiko would be recovered.

* * *

It was _good_ to be back in Makai, Yusuke decided, stretching as he walked casually into the palace. Not that it had been bad to visit Ningenkai, but the solitary nights were just plain _bizarre_ , and humans themselves were pretty damn weird too. Some places had humans and demons mingling easy enough, while others were pure human, and any demon was an instant, immediate threat. Hell, they'd even run across a couple places where Reikai folk had been placed, though To'o had insisted firmly that they not get near.

Still, he wouldn't mind going and harassing Kuwabara again. His sister had one hell of an attitude, and so did his fiancee. The scathing tongue lashing had been _entirely_ too entertaining to watch.

He paused in the courtyard; a little demon all in black and brown seemed to be beating the crap out of one of the training posts, while Yukina sat nearby, watching. When the little koorime spotted him, she hastily got to her feet, her expression somewhere between shy and pleased. To see him? That was new...

Then again, how often had he actually interacted with civilian-type demons or apparitions?

"Yo," he said, approaching the pair curiously. "How's it goin?"

The one with the sword broke off, half-turning to glare at Yusuke, who was not entirely impressed.

"It's going very well," Yukina said with a shy smile. "Hokushin isn't sure how long it will take to find my brother, but he thinks he's very close."

Strangely,this seemed to both embarrass and annoy the other demon, though he didn't say anything. Yusuke flicked a glance between them, raising one eyebrow curiously. Something qasn't quite right here, and he had a feeling Hokushin was in on it.

"Well, that's good," Yusuke said after a moment, shrugging slightly and making a mental note to corner the monk later. "They're treatin you okay, then?"

"Mmhm. Everyone has been very polite!"

No doubt because the minute Raizen had gotten wind of her, he'd told them to be or else... She certainly did give off that air of helpless fragility, and his old man had a thing—sometimes—for protecting that sort.

"Good. I gotta go check in with my old man before he tries eatin To'o for how long our trip took, but Kuwabara wanted me to pass this on if I saw you."

He'd argued about it, pointing out how gauche it was to give a girl a present when Kuwabara's fiancee existed, but the red haired human had been insistent. So Yusuke had grudgingly taken the letter and the hair comb both, and now offered them to Yukina.

"Oh, well, that was... nice of him," she said, her eyes wide in surprise as she accepted both. "It's a very lovely comb."

"Gifts from a human?" the other demon snorted a little. "Hmph."

"He was a very... odd human," Yukina admitted with a giggle. "But he seemed quite nice."

"Shitty sense of direction," Yusuke replied sourly. "Led us a whole week in the wrong direction in Ningenkai before he owned up to it."

"Oh dear. Nothing terrible happened did it?"

"Nah. I threatened to eat him a couple of times, but he's an idiot, so it wasn't worth my time. 'Sides, when we finally got him home, his sister kicked the crap out of him," and Yusuke snickered. "That was fun to watch."

"I... see..." Yukina shook her head after a moment, then smiled at him. "I'm glad you had a safe trip, at least. I've never been to Ningenkai before..."

"I'll tell ya all about it-" A minor shake interrupted him, and he rolled his eyes wryly, "juuuust as soon as Pops lets me."

"Oh, dear, are you going to be in trouble?"

"Ah, probably, but whatever. I'll live."

Yusuke grinned at her worried expression; strange how someone expressing overt concern for him could feel so nice, despite barely knowing her. There was a brief flare of undeniable hostility from the other demon, but Yusuke ignored him, instead turning away to go and make sure his old man wasn't putting poor To'o through too many walls.

* * *

"-and how much have you heard about this ruin?" Kurama asked, frowning a little at the small map given to him by Katomi.

"There's another group living there, with their own amassed fortune," the bird-demon replied with a small shrug. "Plenty of traps as well. Getting the map wasn't hard... apparently they give em out as a challenge to other thieves."

Kurama raised an eyebrow, and Katomi shrugged again.

"If you're good enough t'get past the traps, they offer to let you join is what was said," she replied. "I grabbed a few, figured I'd pass em along if you gave the goahead. No one _here's_ gonna want to join, but getting that treasure might be worth it. It looks like a solid base too, which we could use in this area."

It was hard to argue with that logic; he was inclined to stay put at the moment, and it was easier to have a solid wall for most of the rest of them than living in a forest that could,if so provoked, eat you.

"Very well. Take a _small_ team and see what you can find out. I don't see any traps marked on this map. I want to know all of them _before_ anyone tries to engage, and the specific number of demons in the group as well, so we know just how many there are to take care of."

"Yes, boss," she nodded, saluting him lightly before she headed out of the tent.

Kurama looked at the map again with a faint frown. _Logically_ he could see points where several traps out to be placed, but it wouldn't do his people any good if he was wrong and they were ambushed because of it. He didn't want to invest the main bulk of the group until they had those numbers.

Patience and caution would earn them more in the long run,even if a handful of them chafed at the required pace. Like Yomi.

He hadn't seen his second since returning to the camp, but according to those he'd questioned, Yomi had gone into the village to find a place to drink. Annoying, given the circumstances, but he didn't feel like going and dragging the fool out. He had some other things to worry about, not the least being how Kimiko was doing. It had gotten to full dark almost an hour ago, and he was refusing to let his _own_ impatience push him into being reckless.

Having sown some seeds into the ground, he knew already that someone had both come and gone in the hours he'd waited, and he was betting on it being Satori. But still, he continued to wait, not wanting to leave his own people until Yomi returned. Hot-headed, maybe, but also powerful, and a good protector... most of the time.

Or at least, he had been upon recruitment.

When, Kurama wondered, had that concern fallen by the wayside? Money and power were all well and good, but without a proper plan to _get_ both, Yomi was certainly going to end up with neither. Nor would he have many _people_ left, if he allowed Yomi to go off half-prepared all the time.

Lightly Kurama tapped his table as he contemplated the problem his second was portraying. As much as he liked the demon on a person level, on a professional one, things would have to change soon... or Yomi was going to have to end up dead for the good of the group.

* * *

"You're back!"

Yup~" Yusuke grinned. "Pops said we were gone about a week. Sorry about that. Must've been pretty quiet."

"A little, yes. At least, asleep it was..."

"Yeah? What happened?"

Kimiko made a face.

"Not a _whole_ lot, and I doubt it'd be very interesting in comparison to your trip," she replied.

"Ah, c'mon Sis, tell me," he said giving her a poke. "Shit's actually happening to ya and all."

She pushed him gently, smiling wryly.

"Not much, but okay, okay. In short, Kurama thought it'd be fun to pull me out of the tower for a little bit, which sucked, Satori brought me fabric and sketches so I can make pants, and I met a weird little demon named Hiei."

"...short, black hair, white bandage thing on his head?"

"Mmhm. Said he was looking for his sister, so Kurama took him to Tourin palace. Not exactly the _nicest_ person, but," she shrugged a little. "I dunno, maybe he's just got terrible social skills for whatever... What? What's so funny?"

Yusuke was doubled over, laughing silently.

"Okay, so I never got to tell ya before I left, but we had a koorime show up, looking for her brother," He chortled a little. "Whole twin-fest thing goin on here too, we're like a matched pair, I think. Anyways, for whatever reason, Hiei's _her_ brother, but he didn't want Hokushin tellin her. So he's _pissed_ because _I_ know."

"Oh no, did he try to stab you too?"

"Nah, he... wait, _too_?"

Oops...

Kimiko sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck, then sighed as Yusuke stared at her, his expression somewhere between annoyed and worried.

"I'm fine, Yuu. He barely nicked me, and Kurama showed up before it could escalate. I was... feeling exceptionally crabby, so I wasn't thinking. Kurama tended the tiny cut, and I think even Satori bought that I managed to chase him off, so it's fine. Really."

"...yeah, I'm thinking me and him are gonna have some _words_ tomorrow."

She sighed, but hugged him affectionately. It really was nice to have him back.

"So he only tried to threaten you?" she prompted.

"Pretty much. He's fast with his sword, but he's not really strong. Pops thinks that'll change if he sticks around, and since he's not telling Yukina, _she's_ staying put in hopes that Hokushin hears something from his contacts."

"What's she look like?"

Yusuke conjured up an image and Kimiko couldn't help but smile. Something about Yukina just inspired... warmth.

"She's _adorable!_ "

"Yeah, I guess," he replied, shrugging a little. "Pops told anyone if they make her cry, they're dead, so everyone's been treatin her way more polite than usual. Hell, the idiot human wrote this really long letter to go with this decorative comb-thing he bought her, and demanded I bring it back."

"Oh no..."

"She didn't seem insulted or anything, just said that humans are very strange. I can't really argue with that either. Kuwabara's a _nut_."

She giggled a little.

"But you had fun, didn't you?"

"He led us a _week_ in the wrong direction!" Yusuke said, clearly aggravated. "A whole damn week! To'o was the one who figured out where the hell we were supposed to be, and managed to get us to a place where Kuwabara could finally get home."

"How long were you _in_ Ningenkai?"

"...two weeks. I think. Somethin like that anyways. It's not a terrible place, but _damn_ are humans weird. We saw some nuts from Reikai too, but To'o said we shouldn't talk to them. Pops is supposed to be meeting a delegate or some shit in a couple weeks, something about getting demons to back off of the humans. I dunno. It's annoying him though, that's for sure. You go out of your tower?"

She blinked at the abrupt subject switch, then shivered a little.

"He didn't even ask," she grumbled. "Just picked me up and jumped out the window."

"Shit, why'd you go _back?_ "

"Where _else_ am I going to go?" she pointed out logically. "The palace? Not a chance. And I'm not going with him either, to wherever his camp of thieves is. That's _asking_ for trouble, you know that. Just because he doesn't seem to interested in the reward doesn't mean one of them won't be. The last thing I want right now is to get carted around like I'm a sack of potatos, Yuu."

"...yeah, all right, fair. Hey, though, before I get too busy telling you about Ningenkai, tell your fox that I'll meet him at the base of the mountain where his Ojige tried eating the monks."

"Ojige?"

Yusuke popped up a version of the plant and Kimiko stared at it with wide eyes.

"...I'll tell him. Now _you_ tell me about Ningenkai, and everything that happened there."


	8. Seven

Seven

Her mood was much brighter than it had been for several days, and it was immediately obvious the moment he entered the tower. Kimiko looked relaxed, awake, and quite pleased to see him. It was enough to give him pause for a moment.

"I have a message for you from my brother," she said, a surprisingly wry expression on her face. "He says he'd like to meet you at the place where you left your ojige to eat some of Lord Raizen's monks."

"I see... Did he specify a time?"

"No, but knowing Yusuke, he got thrown out of bed and is probably being thrown around training for a while, so you might have a good chance of seeing him there at some point in the early afternoon."

She said it so matter-of-factly that he couldn't help but smile; whatever her prior malady had _been_ , she seemed to been none the worse for it, and no doubt the return of her brother and their dreaming visits had gone a long way towards soothing her as well.

"Assuming we do manage to meet, would you like me to bring him to the tower directly, or would you prefer my opinion on him first?"

Kimiko blinked at him in surprise.

"I... well, I assumed you'd bring him here," she said after a startled moment. "Do you think I shouldn't?"

Kurama hummed thoughtfully, tipping his head slightly.

"If you feel as though he is safe to bring here, I will bring him," he said calmly. "You clearly trust him in most things."

The barb had been meant to sting, but she only looked ruefully sheepish, not upset, another indication that her prior mood had shifted.

"I know, I know. I just..." She shrugged a little helplessly. "I mean, if he can look me in the eye, and tell me that our father wants me there because I am his child, and there's no other reason, then... then I'll go. But. I don't know. I need it to be like that."

He reached out, and lightly touched his fingertips to her cheek, a move that she leaned into slightly.

"Leaving properly will be difficult for you," he said quietly.

"Mmm... I can't argue with that," and she shuddered a little. "It's stupid, I know I won't fall into the sky, but it's _scary_. I don't...I don't know how easy that'll be to change. And... well, Hiei was right in what he said the other day too. As far as other demons are concerned, I _am_ weak and pathetic."

"Physically, you are untrained," Kurama corrected, keeping his tone even despite his annoyance. "But we shall correct that in time."

"...if you say so..."

He watched her for a moment, as she used her fork to lightly roll a bit of her breakfast around on the plate, then sat on the stool.

"What's bothering you?"

It stung, a little, to ask a question so painfully direct; it wasn't his nature. But it was _hers_ , and if she was bothered by something, he wanted to know.

"You're... that is, this... this isn't for the reward, is it?" she finally asked, not quite looking at him. "I know there is one... And it's pretty impressive."

Kurama blinked at her in mild surprise; he hadn't actually thought she'd consider that.

"No," he said after a moment, half-surprised to realize that it was true. "If I simply wanted the reward, I could have pulled you from the tower easily enough, with or without your permission. I'm quite surprised that there's nothing preventing such a thing..."

He saw her blinked and lean back a little; plainly _that_ thought had never occurred to her.

"Alternatively, I could have simply sent one of my others to Lord Raizen with a message on your location and collected the rurimaru stones for that. It's not as substantial, but it would have been enough to gain more than modest fame."

Not that he wasn't still thinking of the reward at the end, but it had become... a secondary priority. The alliance with her, her brother, the king himself, that was all still on the table as well... but mattered much less than having her thinking of him in a good light.

Simply put, he enjoyed spending time with her, both in and out of bed. He rather would have liked to have another 'in bed' session, actually, but judging from her expression, that was not on her mind at the moment.

"So...if I go...if I go to the palace, will you stay with me?"

This took him aback; bringing her brother, certainly, he could do that. Helping Yusuke talk her into leaving, he could probably do that too.

But staying with her?

"It's just..." She looked down at her lap, crimson spreading across her face. "I like you. I tried not to because it's not safe, but I can't help it. And I know Yusuke won't think of how different it's going to be when I decide, but you seem to _always_ be thinking, and... And I'd really like to have a friend there who even slightly understands."

A friend. Was that the right word for what they were?

He could have laughed at himself for allowing romantic notions to briefly color his own thoughts, but he was a little stunned yet at her admission. True, in the moment they had certainly begun an odd sort of partnership; somewhere between friends and lovers, with that soft, easy affection that he found himself unable to help but give to her.

"I mean, you... you might have to apologize to-"

He reached over and rested his hand on her head. Instantly she stopped talking, though her expression shifted to somewhere between anxious and annoyed.

"If it makes you more comfortable and relaxed, I would be pleased to remain, though I would need a few days to arrange to either be away from the group, or bring them to the palace," he said, keeping his tone even. "We should also likely rely on your brother to smooth the way with Lord Raizen... I cannot, after all, return the rurimaru I have stolen. They are already distributed."

She made a slight face at him, and he trailed his hand down over her cheek, then tucked some of her hair behind one ear, cheekily sprouting a peony to hold it in place. Kimiko startled a little and reached up to touch the flower as he drew his hand back.

"It suits you," he said with a tiny smirk as her fingertips stroked the muti-petaled white blossom.

"What is it?"

"A Ningenkai flower called a peony," he replied. "Very fickle plants, but worth the effort put into growing them by the humans that make the attempt."

She went quiet for a moment, then reached over and gave him a light push.

"I see how it is," she scoffed, a smile on her face. "So I'm fickle but possibly worth the effort of cultivating?"

Playful. He hadn't expected that. In reply, he caught up her hand, and brought it up to kiss her fingertips. Pink touched her cheeks, and just for the fun of it, he kissed her palm, then moved to nip lightly at her wrist. Kimiko shivered a little, but did not try and reclaim her hand as he worked his way up the inside of her arm, dropping little kisses and nips on soft skin.

Well, up until he licked the inside of her elbow. _Then_ she squeaked and tried to pull away. Unable to keep from laughing softly, he gently pulled her from her stool and into his hold, wrapping an arm snugly around her.

This was not love... not _quite._ But it had the potential to be. And for once, he was quite willing to wait and see what all might happen if such a feeling was nurtured. Judging by the way she relaxed against him, she seemed quite content to go on as they were as well.

* * *

Yusuke hadn't been able to shake Hiei all morning, and it was starting to get annoying. Okay, so maybe he shouldn't have let the shorter demon know that he _knew_ about Yukina, but it had been to funny to pass up. How often did you run into that sort of event, after all?

And okay, 'sparring' had turned into trying to beat him down just for actually attacking his _own_ sister, but still. Yukina had been watching, so he hadn't caused _that_ much damage.

But really, being stalked by a stab-happy, low-level demon wasn't _his_ idea of a fun time. And Yukina was already inside at that, having decided that she wanted to go through some of the tomes in Raizen's library for information on places in Ningenkai.

The fact that his old man _had_ such things wasn't even remotely shocking.

"Look, can you just fuck off already?" he finally asked, turning to glare at the smaller demon. "I'm all for a good brawl, but I've got shit to do, and you're _not_ gonna follow me around to do it!"

"A tower to visit, perhaps?" Hiei asked with a small smirk.

"Yeah, what of it?" Yusuke snorted a little, crossing his arms. "Got a problem with that, Sunshine?"

The smirk instantly became a scowl, and Yusuke snickered a little; clearly Kimiko was right about how to irritate him, and there was no harm in a little gentle mockery if it made him fuck off.

"Look, if you're out for the reward, you're out of luck," he continued, lacing his hands behind his head. "And I'm pretty sure if you tagged along, Sis would chuck _everyone_ out of the tower in annoyance."

"Hmph," and Hiei looked away, feigning disinterest. "I don't care about some stupid rurimaru reward. A kingdom would be boring too."

"Uh huh. So what, you'd tag along out of the goodness of your heart?" Yusuke raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Bullshit."

"Well, if you're going with the fox, you _probably_ won't get killed."

Yusuke paused. Then groaned.

"You're shitting me. _That's_ why you're following me?"

Hiei's smirk reappeared.

"Lord Raizen seemed to think that you were bored with the monks. Since Yukina's staying here, watching over her is pointless, and you'll provide some good training. Eventually."

"Pint size, I will put you _through_ the wall next time," Yusuke grumbled.

"You might have more power, but I have more speed."

Oh yeah, he was _definitely_ going to have to smash the little punk into a wall. Hiei wasn't as _immediately_ annoying as Kuwabara had been, but that didn't really mean much.

"Fine, fuck it, whatever, if you're coming, I'm going."

* * *

Kimiko blinked. Repeatedly.

"Why is _he_ here?"

Yusuke stuffed his hands in his pockets and scowled.

"Because Pops thought it'd be _funny_ to assign him to be my bodyguard," he growled.

She blinked again, then brought up a hand to muffle her giggles. Hiei just sat himself on the windowsill, staring out across the crater in a clear bid to ignore all of them, while Kurama leaned against the wall, looking faintly amused.

Yusuke huffed, then reached over and gave her a light shove. Kimiko only laughed, and pushed him back, unable to be anything but happy in the moment. Her brother was here. Her brother was _here_ , in her tower, and for the first time their play was actual. She could mess up his hair, he could punch her shoulder, and soon enough they were wrestling like they so often did in dreams.

He beat her, of course, but she made him work for it, and both of them were grinning when they got up.

"For a place literally in the middle of nowhere, it's not too terrible," Yusuke admitted, looking around. "How d'you _not_ go stir crazy, though?"

Kimiko shrugged lightly, flicking her hair back over her shoulder.

"I keep myself busy with a bunch of little things. Cleaning, sewing, trying to cook... You know this, Yuu, I've told you before. And Kurama's recently given me things to do; exercises and things like that. No major breakthroughs, but," she shrugged lightly, "it hasn't been that long."

And she definitely was _not_ going to mention the other things Kurama had given her. Not something her brother needed to know about, even slightly.

"Oh, yeah..." Yusuke glanced over at the fox thief, and Kimiko did too; he seemed to be heavily amused by their antics, and not the least bit worried. "So, you ready to leave it all and come home?"

Kimiko hesitated; _was_ she ready to leave the tower? Certainly with her brother there, _real_ in a way she had worried he wouldn't be, there was a strong argument that she shouldn't stay.

Yusuke put both hands on her shoulders, and she looked up, surprised.

"Look Sis, Pops isn't the person the bitch has been tellin you he is," he said earnestly. "He got all pissy cause I told him _he_ couldn't tag along, and it's cause you're his _kid_ , not whatever your weird power is, or who Mom was. He's not always the best guy, sure, but he does give a damn, and he'd be happy as hell if you came home where you're supposed to be. _Pretty_ sure you could make any demands you wanted of him, and he'd say yes."

He grinned a little, hopefully, and Kimiko let out a slow breath. Plainly Yusuke and Kurama had talked before coming, because that was pretty much word for word on what she'd needed to hear.

"Okay, but... not today."

"What? What not?"

She couldn't help but smile.

"I have to pack up, Yuu. Believe it or not, there's things here I don't want to leave behind. It'll take some effort too..."

Yusuke looked put out, but nodded a little.

"I have an idea, if I may?" Kurama spoke up, making the twins jump slightly. Kimiko blushed; admittedly she had been so focused on her brother, on the reality of the moment, that she had forgotten both of the other demons. "Pick a day, say... three or four days from now. Lord Yusuke brings a handful of Lord Raizen's monks, and they pack up everything you want to bring with you. Then you leave."

"...so soon?"

She didn't mean to sound dismayed, but she couldn't quite help herself. The idea of abandoning the place where she had grown up in... it was _hard_.

"Better soon than never," he replied... and she thought she saw compassion behind the stern expression on his face.

"...Well, I like it," Yusuke said with a nod. "Sis?"

"I..." after a moment, Kimiko sighed, and nodded. "Okay. Four days. But!" and she looked pointedly at Kurama, "You have to come with me."

"Four days allows me to settle my own affairs," he replied with a small, wry smile. "May I have your permission to speak openly of you so that they understand what is being set in motion."

Kimiko blinked at him, then glanced at Yusuke, who only shrugged.

"...As long as they don't learn where the tower is, I don't mind," she said after a thoughtful moment.

"Naturally," Kurama agreed with a slight incline of his head.

"Hey, is there a way to time it right? Pops would _love_ to get his hands on Satori..."

"Ah..."

"That's probably ill-advised," Kurama replied when Kimiko couldn't find the words. "Unless you intend to bring Lord Raizen himself..."

"...I could totally do that," Yusuke replied with a smirk.

"How about we _don't_ ," Kimiko said, shaking her head a little. "It's going to be overwhelming enough with however many monks you bring to pack the tower up, _plus_ you three. I really think I don't need to meet him _here_. Especially not in the sort of mood he'll probably be in if he wants to... do whatever to Satori."

"Killjoy," Yusuke sighed theatrically.

For that, she just punched his shoulder lightly, affectionately.

"You hush. Battle-brain."

"If plans are made, it's time to leave," Hiei said abruptly. "Someone's approaching from the east end of the crater, and will be here shortly. They are very powerful."

"Oh no..." Kimiko felt herself pale, then pushed Yusuke firmly. "Go, go. If we need to plan more, I can get you tonight, okay?"

Yusuke nodded, though he looked entirely annoyed to be shoved out so quickly. Fortunately, neither Kurama nor Hiei gave him time to protest, with the former simply grabbing Yusuke by his arm and jumping out in a long arc, well away from the base of the tower, a jump easily matched by Hiei.

Kimiko spared a brief moment to wonder how he had known before scurrying to her warming stone to renew the infusion, hoping that it had enough time to work before Satori made it to the tower...

* * *

Yusuke grumbled all the way back to the palace, not liking the unceremonious way he'd been hauled out. He could have taken the bitch, no problem, no matter _what_ Hiei said... But apparently the other two hadn't agreed, and he supposed he couldn't blame Kimiko for freaking out a little.

Kurama had parted company halfway, simply peeling off into the forest with only a nod of farewell. Given that his old man had already reluctantly agreed to pardon the thief for his thievery, Yusuke was _fairly_ sure he could get Raizen to look the other way when it came to making sure Kimiko felt comfortable.

"I need Hokushin, Seitei and To'o, at minimum," he said without preamble to Hiei. "You get them to the training area, cause I'm also gonna have to talk to Pops about this."

"I'm not your errand runner," Hiei said irritably.

"You're not exactly a bodyguard either," Yusuke retorted. "I'm not _asking_ , Sunshine, just do it."

Hiei's glare could have peeled paint, but after a long stare down, he turned abruptly and stalked away. While not entirely sure that Hiei _would_ go find those three, at least now he wasn't glaring daggers at Yusuke's back.

Besides,Yusuke really _did_ need to go find Raizen and explain why Kimiko wasn't already back with him, something that was going to take some effort...

"Damnit," he muttered to himself. "I should've gotten her to put on the damn bracers before I left. Guess I'll have to meet up with fox-face again..."

Raizen, he discovered, was sprawled inelegantly over his throne, looking both bored and annoyed. The boredom fled, but the annoyance grew more overt as Yusuke closed the doors behind him after making sure there wasn't anyone else in the room.

"Pops, we gotta talk."

Raizen sat up, and Yusuke tried not to shift uncomfortably at the weight of the stare he was now being pinned with.

"What about, boy?"

"Sis."

Raizen leaned forward a little more, and that burning stare became a little more penetrating.

"I'm listening."

"She'll come, but she needs some time," Yusuke said firmly. "In four days, I'll take a few of the monks, we'll pack up everything she wants to keep, and get her out damn quick. But she doesn't think you comin along is a good idea. She'd rather meet you here... and she's bringing the fox thief too. She's pretty attached to him."

Raizen looked more than moderately miffed.

"Does she presume I'll simply grab her and carry her off?" he growled.

"No. She's worried about what'll happen to the bitch," Yusuke replied, making a mild face. "I'm not saying you let it go, but I think you're gonna have to give it a pass for a little bit longer."

This time Raizen's growl echoed through the room, making Yusuke wince a little. He totally understood his father's feelings on the matter; hell, he _shared_ them. But in the interest of a smoother transition, going by what made _Kimiko_ more comfortable was probably the best choice.

Now he just had to hope Raizen would see it that way, and not be mortally offended.

"...fine," he snarled.

"There's always the off chance that we time it right, and she comes back to look after Kimiko's home; could try then," Yusuke offered. "It's in the mountains, but once you know where to look..."

Raizen visibly pulled back on his temper, and Yusuke managed to relax a little.

"The fox is non-negotiable?"

Now Yusuke shrugged a little.

"She likes him, s'far as I can tell," he replied. "If she's calmer with him around, that's probably better. You know she's got no formal training Pops. Better to weigh it so that she's got someone else she trusts around to make sure nothing bad happens."

"Hmph. We'll have to work on that as quickly as possible."

"...gently, Pops," Yusuke cautioned. "She's not gonna be used to anything. I mean, no bad habits to unlearn, but no good ones either. It's gonna be tough."

Raizen muttered a little, but nodded.

"Fine. Momo can clear out a couple rooms. Who are you taking with you to pack her up and get her out."

"Hokushin, To'o, and Seitei, plus whoever else Hokushin thinks might make it faster. There's not a whole lot of room for a huge number of people, but as long as they stay out of each other's ways, it should be fine. And they're all strong enough to maybe give the bitch pause if she shows up early."

Raizen's smirk was ice cold, and Yusuke half-smiled wryly in response. He would admit that he half-hoped Satori _did_ show up... At least then he could maybe _try_ and explain his displeasure. With his fists.

"Begin planning," Raizen ordered. "I want to know where this tower is, just in case something goes wrong."

"Got it."

Raizen waved a hand dismissively, and Yusuke bounded quickly out of the room before his father could change his mind. The last thing he wanted right now was to spend two or three hours talking Raizen out of laying in wait for Satori right _now_. Much as he hated admitting it, Kimiko still kind of needed the bitch to bring her food if nothing else.

He just hoped four days wasn't going to be too long to wait.

* * *

Kurama returned to the tower several hours after dark; the low level of light visible through the window made him think that Kimiko might already be sleeping. Not that he could blame her; it had been something of a fraught day, and anyone with sense would think getting some early rest might well be good.

So finding her sitting on her floor, frowning a little at her hands, was surprising. He landed lightly as always, and she didn't flick even a glance his way, so he took a moment to study her. It was much like the looks she'd held that second visit, a concentrating, stubborn sort of look that suggested she was focused fiercely on something.

A problem? But why would she be staring at her hands if that was the case?

He received an answer a few moments later, when a flicker of lavender light bounced across her fingertips. He watched in moderate surprise as she frowned even more fiercely, bringing her hands together. The light flickered again, dancing on the tips of her fingers like sparks of lightning, which made her scowl.

Compared to the start of the small venture, when she hadn't even been able to get this much, it was improvement, but he remained quiet, watching her face; for her, it clearly wasn't enough. She was sweating lightly, clearly straining to get the power to do what she wanted... but if he was any judge, she wasn't likely to get there; Satori had clearly siphoned away most of the available energy, and no doubt the replenishing potions he'd made for her were all gone.

Well, far be it from him to keep her from learning as she wished.

Quietly he padded into her kitchen and picked up her cup, very easily making a larger dose of the potion. She was going to need it if she kept trying this hard, and better a vile-tasting drink than the headache and pains he knew would attack her once she stopped trying to force it.

There was a snap, and thud, followed by a brief silence then some annoyed muttering. When he glanced over, he saw her pushing herself up on her elbows, shaking out first one hand, then the other; apparently the backlash had been forceful enough to knock her over. No doubt either Hiei or her brother would have mocked her, but Kurama simply stepped over, helped her to sit up, and smiled a little as she startled.

"You are being quite stubborn tonight," he said calmly.

"If by stubborn you mean inclined towards injury, you're not wrong," she sighed a little, blowing lightly on her fingertips. "I swear I almost had something earlier, but... well..."

"Did Satori notice anything amiss?"

"...I don't know," she admitted, looking away briefly. "She tasted the air a few times, but she didn't ask if anyone had been by. Hiei gave warning early enough that I was able to make up another one, actually... So it might have been that."

Kurama frowned a little.

"Was that necessary?"

"I don't knoooow. I panicked!"

He sighed a little, then leaned down and lightly nuzzled at her forehead; she looked so anxious, he couldn't quite help himself. She blushed a little, then shifted to curl a little more easily against him, though he caught her eyeing the cup with trepidation.

"You need it," he said, stifling a smile.

"...it tastes terrible."

"Hmmm... do you perhaps need some incentive?~"

She blinked at him, and he leaned in to gift her a kiss. It was meant to be a long, slow one... possibly leading to other places, because really, why not? But it ended up being entirely too short, because the moment his mouth brushed hers, that strange, heavy power blossomed, settling loosely around before sinking into his skin, startling them both.

"...that was new," he said after a moment, pulling back slightly.

"It was," she agreed, blinking a little. "I wonder..."

She looked briefly contemplative, then shrugged lightly, and stretched up to give him a tiny kiss of her own. He blinked, both surprised by her forwardness and the kiss both, and couldn't help the flick of one ear in a mix of annoyed confusion when nothing happened. Kimiko's expression suggested that she shared this feeling, and she rubbed the tip of her nose irritably even as she resettled herself against his chest.

"Not that," she muttered. "It would be nice if this secondary power had come with some sort of manual..."

He chuckled a little, and nuzzled at her delicately.

"If you're still intent on practicing with energy, you _are_ going to need this," he said, nudging her cheek lightly with the cup.

"Is there _any_ way for you to improve the taste?" Kimiko replied, her voice somewhere between resignation and complaining.

"Incentive," he teased gently, nuzzling at her again.

"Kissing is not going to make that taste any _less_ vile," she retorted, a wry smile tugging at her lips.

"But you enjoy it."

She blushed a little harder, and gave him a gentle push.

"You're being distracting on purpose," she huffed.

"Yes. I am."

Kimiko blinked for a moment, then giggled, and leaned a little more against him. Kurama just smiled faintly, and allowed it; he _was_ being deliberately distracting, because it was libel to be safer if he stayed away for the next few days. He just didn't want to tell her until he had to leave. Why spoil the moment?

"What _were_ you trying to do?" he asked.

"Something Yusuke showed me a few years ago. I must just not have the energy available to manifest..." She sighed a little, then reluctantly reached for the cup. "If this makes me sick, I'm blaming you."

He smiled in wry amusement; it was tempting to move the cup out of her reach, make her stretch to get it, but he suspected she wouldn't much see the humor in it, and he _had_ made it for her in a bid to help. If it spilled, it would certainly go to waste, and wouldn't it be fun to see that lavender energy again, even if only by accident?

She stared at the cup for a minute, made a face, then bolted it down as fast as she could. Her energy did not immediately bloom into fully restoration—his concoctions could not do that—but there was a quick jump in what small power she did carry, enough to be noticeable.

"Worst tasting stuff ever," she muttered, coughing a little.

"Ah, but it works," he replied, taking the cup from her. "Now, try again."

Kimiko huffed at him slightly, then shifted so that she was sitting properly upright, tucking her back against his chest as she crossed her legs under her. Whether trust or a mild revenge, he couldn't say, but either way, her current amount of power wasn't the sort that could really cause him harm, so he saw no need to move. It also allowed him a better glimpse of how her power would manifest, when it finally did.

With more power available, the lavender sparks weren't hard to conjure up, but Kimiko was tense... far too tense in his opinion.

"Relax," he said quietly. "There is such a thing as trying _too_ hard. You have nothing to prove to anyone. Certainly not your father."

She flinched, and the sparks scattered. True, it had been a shot in the dark, but it was a good guess, all things considered.

"...I'm already going to be weaker than anyone else there," she muttered.

"Then you shall be," and he shrugged lightly. "But I suspect that you will change that. Your brother certainly has power to him, and you will too. But if you try and force it, you won't... enjoy it as you ought."

She sighed a little disconsolately, and leaned back against him. Since she seemed to be done playing with energy for the moment, he draped his arms around her, giving her some light cuddles.

"It's hard to feel," she confessed after a moment. "It's like... there's something in the way. I can feel it, I know it's there, but I can't really _get_ to it. Like the secondary power or something, is muddling up everything just enough to be difficult."

He smiled a little, and gave her a light squeeze.

"That's more than you knew before," he pointed out. "If you can learn to differentiate and separate the two, I suspect your progress with accelerate rapidly."

"You're optimistic," she snorted a little.

"You have been giving me small surprises since we met," he replied, lightly brushing his fingers across her cheek. "Large surprises are not out of the question."

She laughed a little, and elbowed him lightly. In response, he leaned down and lightly kissed her neck. Her slight shiver was quite rewarding... and came with that small blossom of power again. While she jumped, he did not. Questions plucked at his mind however, and he leaned back slightly to contemplate her. Kimiko twisted a little in his hold, and looked up at him speculatively in return.

"I wonder if it means something's... changed," she said after a minute. "Between us?"

Kurama only shrugged lightly; while she had confessed to affection, and he had acknowledged that something _could be_ , he couldn't say there had been any great shift. After a moment she just sighed and snuggled against him, loosely curling her arms around his waist.

"Perhaps... freely given affection causes a response," he theorized after a moment, lightly stroking her hair. There was something relaxing about just holding her like this. A lack of expectation, perhaps. "Pleasure for the sake of it, comfort given without reservation... Trust can be a powerful commodity, after all."

"But not when I give it," He didn't have to see her face to know she was frowning. "Hn... Something about that is _weird_."

"It may simply be a personality quirk," Kurama said with a faint smile. "Precisely how much affection _have_ you been granted in your life?"

She punched him, but lightly, huffing in amusement.

"By that logic, anyone who's nice to me should get a burst of power, but it didn't happen that way with Yuu..." she retorted, her tone more amused than anything else. "It hasn't happened that way in the past either. By that logic, it ought to be happening right _now_."

"Perhaps then, it shall ever remain a mystery," and he smiled a little, nuzzling her softly. "Or we could experiment and see what actions trigger it deliberately?~"

Crimson spread across her face and she half-hid against his chest.

"Don't tease."

"But you're quite adorable when I do."

That just made her blush harder, hiding a little more. He chuckled softly, and stroked her hair lightly, smoothing his fingers over the dark strands; he wouldn't force the affection on her if she wasn't feeling up for it, but there was fun in teasing her like this as well.

"Meanie," and he could hear the pout in her voice. "It's not fair to tease when I can't respond in kind."

"Ah, but that implies I am a patron of fair play," he replied, lightly running his fingers down her back as well. "I _am_ a thief, Kimiko. The only fair I enjoy is a fair share of the spoils."

"...am I a spoil?"

He blinked, and looked down at her,then lightly smoothed her hair again.

"No. But you _are_ quite the treasure."

Her smile was small and shy, as much a reward as any kiss could be.


	9. Eight

Eight

Something had definitely changed at the tower, more than just those strange air cleansers the girl had taken to putting up. She was not as deferential, not as complaint as she had been. Her power seemed to be refilling _faster_ than it normally did, and while there was a chance Kimiko had come by these things accidentally, Satori suspected that they all had something to do with the last visitor she'd had.

Oh, not the one Kimiko had claimed to have chased off, the one prior. The fox that she had healed.

Satori's lip curled slightly as she contemplated the problem; he was plainly trying to take the girl from her, trying to build up her courage if nothing else, to make her more difficult to handle. There were ways around that, of course... there always were. A person killed discretely served no point though, not when it was meant to reinforce the idea that Kimiko could trust no one beyond the tower.

So, how to lure the fox back, openly, to make her point?

Or perhaps...

A new group of thieves had established themselves somewhere in the wood. She didn't have to go to them directly, she only had to find, use, one. Let Kimiko think her precious fox had told this new thief where the tower was, and she would go back to the old, familiar patterns of thought.

It wasn't like they were a particularly _subtle_ group either. One of them had a penchant for coming into the small village where she made her own home and spending several hours at the tiny inn and pub, drinking the best that was offered. He spoke little, watched everyone with appraising eyes, and seemed to think that he was invisible to everyone who didn't matter.

That sort of arrogance was exactly the sort that she could make use of. All _she_ had to do was point him in the direction of the tower with the idea that he might find some great treasure of his own. He wasn't, couldn't be, the leader... no _sensible_ leader made their habits so overt. That was just asking to be killed.

Well, what did it matter? As long as Kimiko was cowed once more, that would be enough. Perhaps, though, it was also time to consider moving her farther away from the palace. Tire her out with long walks, give her only small chances to rest, and never let her really know when the end was in sight. Putting her in another tower was not strictly out of the question, but giving her more to do might also be worth the annoying effort. More to do, less chance to think...

Because she wasn't going _anywhere_ until she had given Satori all the power that was necessary to challenge Raizen.

* * *

Yomi fumed quietly into his mug, glaring at nothing in particular. Kurama was too damn distracted by half to be of any use lately, other than the casual approval of one or two heists. While it had certainly allowed him to stretch his own leadership muscles, the fact that their 'grand leader' wasn't talking to any of them about what he was doing...

Well, infuriating was putting it mildly. What if Kurama was planning to cut all of them out of his latest plan?Take whatever treasure he was hunting and just leave them all in the dirt? It hadn't escaped his attention that both Ides and Shats were keeping secrets as well; they would mutter together about something, and go silent if anyone tried to approach. What made it more annoying was that they were using their own coded language, to be _sure_ no one could eavesdrop accurately; plainly they were colluding with Kurama...

What _was_ their grand and glorious leader up to, anyways? He didn't typically leave the camp this much, not unless he was studying a new place, and then he almost never went alone, saying that two pairs of eyes were better. As long as his preferred stealth was maintained, observing a place to hit could be done by anyone.

The only reason Yomi didn't often do it was because it was damn boring. They were all strong enough to easily take apart fellow demons and stupid traps, the observations were just a waste of everyone's time. Why Kurama insisted on them, he would never understand.

He took a slow drink from his mug, then scowled down into it. No, Kurama _had_ to be up to something. If there was one thing he'd learned in the years he'd been partnered with the fox demon, it was that Kurama never _stopped_ thinking. The problem was that until he volunteered the knowledge, no one was _ever_ going to know. Following him was an impossible feat; unless Kurama wanted to be followed, he knew a thousand different ways to vanish from even his allies.

It was almost frustrating at this point to admit that even with all this, Kurama was still considered the leader. The rest were more loyal to him than Yomi, so trying to arrange a mutiny wouldn't go over well...

And now his mug was empty too. He raised a hand irritably for a new one, lifting his head a little to glare around at the other patrons of this little hole in the wall they thought of as an inn. Few of them had the gumption or the power to stare back at him, depriving him of the mild excuse he wanted that could start a fight.

The folded piece of paper that arrived with his drink made him immediately suspicious; he ignored it for a good minute before his curiosity overrode the wariness, and he unfolded it.

 _If you seek a great treasure, I know a place. Meet me at the location I have marked, and I will tell you all about it._

A crudely sketched map was on the lower half of the paper, indicating a place not too far from the village itself. He glanced up and around the room again, this time feigning a casualness he didn't actually feel, trying to make out who could have sent this. Surely not the barmaid, who had shown a distinct _lack_ of interest in him every time he'd come in; no one would look at him, however, and he was left to ponder the note in silence.

After a moment he shoved it into the front of his hakama and stood, dropping a few coins on the table to pay for the drinks. Tiny the place might have been, but there was no point in him being banned because he'd failed to pay. It would be a waste, after all,of a good drink to be forced to kill the maker.

Plus it would draw attention, and the last thing he needed was _another_ lecture from Kurama on the values of staying low profile.

Whether it was a real treasure, or some demon just looking for a fun time, it had to be better than waiting around for a whole pile of nothing. Kurama wouldn't even approve his plan to raid those demons who _challenged_ people at this rate.

Yomi muttered a variety of irritable curses as he walked out; if Kurama was just _bolder_ , this wouldn't take so damn long. They would already have a slice of territory, piles of treasure. But no, Kurama had to be _methodical_ and _plan_ everything. Plans within plans, plans with _backup_ plans. It was just wasted time and effort, both better spent on just _getting_ what they wanted.

Complain though he might against Kurama's methods, he didn't lack _all_ sense of stealth and caution. He took a far route out of the village, and circled around to the area in question, waiting in the shadows of the small clearing to see who might show themselves.

* * *

Impatient, brash, and reckless...

Satori smiled to herself as the thief walked cautiously into the clearing, looking annoyed; he certainly wouldn't be hard to handle later, when his part of the plan was finished. He didn't have the power to be a challenge, nor her years of skill.

She let him wait a moment more, then let the invisibility fall away abruptly; while she was still shrouded in a full cloak, she knew well the benefit of intimidation. Nothing was more unnerving to lower strength demons than the sudden appearance of one with power.

And sure enough, this little thief startled backwards, bright green energy flickering over his hands. She refrained from laughing, but oh, was it tempting to mock him.

"So, you seek treasure, do you, little thief?" she asked, allowing her tone to carry a hint of malicious amusement. "Gold and gems, rare secrets and power?"

"...maybe," the thief replied, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"I know a place. I'm willing to share."

"Why?"

Ah, perhaps he was not so foolish. Well then. Time to make a gamble.

"Because it would moderately annoy your leader."

The thief straightened a little, his expression shifting slight from wary to cautiously curious.

"What do you have against our leader?" he asked, clearly trying to sound disinterested.

"I suspect his machinations are about to interfere in a long-term work of my own," and Satori affected a slight, rippling shrug. "Remove this treasure before he can, and the results will change."

"Why don't you remove it yourself?"

"I prefer leaving delicate work to delicate experts. Besides, aren't you tired of being in his shadow? No doubt you're the one doing the bulk of the work these past few weeks."

The thief narrowed his eyes, but it was calculating, not irritation. Satori smiled a little to herself; a mistreated minion always gave the best response to even the most minor flattery.

"Do you want a share?"

"I require no share," she replied dismissively. "It will be enough to thwart your leader."

"...all right. I'm listening."

* * *

Kurama glanced around at the gathered faces over the fire, and frowned slightly; he had stipulated that everyone be there, but Yomi was not in evidence. Delaying the announcement would only agitate everyone who _was_ there, so he mentally sighed and decided that he would just have to inform Yomi later, privately.

It had already been difficult enough to leave Kimiko on her own for the past two days, now it was time to get everyone involved in something else so that they wouldn't run the risk of trying to be involved in _this_.

To that end, there was nothing else to do but get the announcement over with.

"I have found Lord Raizen's daughter."

The group, already silent, went so still as to be mistaken for dead. Sixteen sets of eyes were glued to him in shock; Ides and Shats were exchanging smug looks, a move that didn't go unnoticed by their fellows.

The chatter broke out several moments later, every demon trying to talk over the other in a bid to have their question or comment be heard first. Some of them turned on Ides and Shats, not in anger—or at least, not in _dangerous_ anger—and shouted at them too. He let it go for several minutes, and tried not to be _too_ amused at their expenses.

Then he raised a hand and waited. Most of them fell silent immediately, while the others took a few cuffs from their fellows.

"We will receive the reward for retrieval, as promised; her brother is ensuring that Lord Raizen's wrath does not fall upon us for our prior transgressions. I require most of you to return to the main lair and begin stripping it down and packing it up. Yomi, when he returns," assuming he returned in _time_ , "will select those of you he thinks is capable, and you have my permission to go and take the treasures of those fools who like challenging other demons."

The chatter broke out again, but Kurama was already turning away and heading back to his tent. They would partially break camp in the morning, with Yomi's selected remaining until they had either died or cleared the treasures from the group of fools, and the effort would keep them all too busy to ask the questions they ought to be.

Specifically, _who_ was taking the girl back.

Now he just needed Yomi to get back from that little pub he liked haunting, and the rest of the plan could be set in motion. Soon now, very soon indeed, things would change.

* * *

It was silly to feel melancholic about a place she had always felt trapped in, but at the same time, it was the only home she'd had. For the past two decades, the rough stone walls, the sanded wooden floors, the lone window...

Kimiko brushed her fingertips over the counter top, then leaned on it contemplatively. She couldn't take everything. She couldn't come back to this place, not without consequences. Where was the happy middle ground she'd thought she might find? Being left to her own thoughts for the past three days, save the dreamspace visits with Yusuke—who was a font of information and enthusiasm now that everything was getting put in motion—felt almost cruel.

While she sort of understood why Kurama had decided to leave her own her own, why he needed that time to make sure his own people wouldn't interfere, she still wished he was there. Hell, she would have accepted _Hiei's_ company at this point; anything to keep her mind from buzzing between excitement and fear.

How _was_ she going to handle being under that expanse of sky, for example? Would it be possible to prevail upon Kurama to carry her at least part of the way? Well, to be fair, someone was going to have to... She remembered how fast it had felt when he'd pulled her out, there wasn't much chance she could keep up with that speed on her own.

Abruptly she pushed away from the counter and went into her pantry; Satori hasn't shown up the previous evening, but there were still a few things she could use to put together something to eat. Maybe if she focused on cooking, she could push away some of her nerves, her unease.

Because some part of her felt that this was simply too easy.

Maybe it was simple paranoia, but she couldn't help feeling like she was waiting for the trouble to start. It _couldn't_ be this easy to get away. Satori had gone to a lot of trouble to get her, to keep her in this place... if not for the dreamscape, the connection to Yusuke, she might never have entertained ideas of leaving.

Or of being rescued, as ridiculous as that sounded.

She found she was staring blankly at the shelves, and turned away from them, rubbing a hand across her face. If she kept this up, she was just going to wear herself down into exhaustion and have nothing to show for it. She needed to _do_ something... but what could she do that wouldn't raise suspicion, and would give her mind a break?

Annoyed with herself,she wandered over to the large window and sat on the sill, looking outwards as she pondered a future she had admittedly never really planned for. A fall that she only _might_ survive, but had never wanted to try was only a few inches away, and for once, the idea itself was less terrifying than wondering what the new day was going to bring.

Oh, but she wished someone would come visit her in person.

She stayed there for several minutes, staring blankly out, then muttered a little at her own ridiculousness and moved away, this time going up the stairs to her room, to rummage around in the standing closet for the bag Kurama had yet to retrieve, pulling out the bracers, and the upper arm guards. She reached over and lightly passed a fragment of energy into the light crystal, about the only thing she could still reliably do,then blinked and paused for thought, the bag unopened in her lap.

Lighting crystals and heating them both took energy. But it was such a tiny amount that she had never considered that manipulation... or perhaps she had been led to believe that it wasn't. Carefully, not wanting to overcharge and break the crystal, she picked it up to experiment with.

Putting energy in was easy enough, and allowed her to slowly grasp how her power seemed to feel. Getting it back out...well, not so much. Which was odd, because she knew Yusuke could do it, it was one of the first lessons he'd been taught and tried to share with her in his inexpert ways.

Perhaps Kurama _had_ been right and she'd simply been trying too hard. It _was_ strange to realize though, that she could have started with this, and hadn't even thought about it.

Not that she could replenish the power easily once it was spent without him... And even though she was only trying to use small bits, she still wore herself out far too quickly, which left her back at her original problem; too much to think about, not enough to do.

On the plus side, the crystal would be charged for a while, so after putting it back, she turned her attention to the bracers and the arm guards.

It was the bracers Yusuke was still the most adamant about; if she wore sleeves, they would be easier to hide, maybe, but sleeves had a bad habit of getting in the way of... well... _everything_. The number of times she'd sewn her sleeves to earlier projects had taught her that wrist-length sleeves were an annoyance she could do without.

Only now they would have served a good purpose.

She sighed a little, and set the bracers aside, leaving her room to return to her original plan of making something to eat. Lunch might not immediately restore all of her energy, but focusing on food, and then seeing what she could try after...

Well, anything was worth a shot at this point.

Just one more day...

* * *

It was just one more day to wait, but Yusuke was tempted to go early anyways. It couldn't make _that_ much of a difference could it? Hell, they'd get her out a whole day earlier!

...Except then she wouldn't have her fox thief, and she might protest that pretty strenuously. It was hard to tell, but he was _pretty_ sure they were developing a romance thing. And since he didn't know where Kurama's _camp_ was either, he couldn't just go find him.

Well, no, he probably could, but it might not be worth the effort. Kimiko had stipulated four days, and cutting one out might mess with her even more.

It was still tempting though.

He'd already been kicked out of the main palace twice, both times by his father, just for being far too energetic while Raizen remained both irritable and wary about the upcoming rescue. He supposed he couldn't blame the old man, all things considered; he wanted to make a _good_ impression on Kimiko, especially after all that bullshit that had come from the bitch.

It was still troubling that Kimiko remained firm on them _not_ lying in wait for her too. Did she think that little of them, or was she just worried about seeing someone who... Yusuke had to grimace, even as he admitted that Satori _had_ taken somewhat decent care of Kimiko, even as she had used her for power. So probably worrying about what would happen there... made an annoying amount of sense.

He grumbled a little, idly kicking a few rocks around one of the exterior training yards; having nothing to do made him wish the idiot human was back. A good fight might settle him, but going to Ningenkai, unaccompanied, without knowing how the time difference would work, was a good way to get killed.

And not _just_ by his father.

Hiei was his silent shadow again, but at least this time he wasn't feeling pinned under the weight of his stare. He wasn't exactly a brilliant conversationalist either, and as annoying as it was to admit, Hiei _did_ have him on speed, so straight up brawling with _him_ would probably look a lot more like flailing at the air. There were plenty of ways to look stupid on accident, he'd really rather pass on doing it purposefully.

"You look worried... Is everything okay?"

Yusuke stopped, and blinked; he'd been thinking too hard, clearly, because he hadn't even sensed Yukina. He still didn't know _too_ much about the koorime either, but she was certainly a calmer, soothing presence.

"Yeah, I'm just antsy," he said with a shrug. "Feels like I'm wasting time just kicking around here..."

"Can I ask what's going on?"

Yusuke laced his hands behind his head, smiling slightly.

"We're getting my sister home," he said, confident in that fact. Then sighed a little and cocked his head a bit. "Tomorrow."

"Has she been away?"

"...yeah, let's go with that."

Okay, he'd reluctantly done a _little_ reading about the koorime, and their isolation from the rest of Makai meant they didn't hear much. And since Kimiko _was_ coming back, he didn't see any reason to really upset Yukina with the tale of her being kidnapped.

"It's something to be excited about," she said with a soft smile. "How long has it been?"

"...Kinda like you and your brother, actually," Yusuke said, though he stifled a smirk at the feel of Hiei's burning stare. "We got...separated when we were babies. She's more nervous than excited, I think, but everyone here's been waiting for forever. I'm trying not to get ahead of myself, though... S'a bit harder than I thought it'd be."

"You've never met? How will you know?"

He grinned a little.

"She's my sister. But also, we met recently, in person. If it wasn't for the quick way we have to do it, I'd say you should come too."

Hiei's glower intensified, but Yukina's smile was shy.

"I'm sure I would only get in the way..." she replied.

"Hell, that describes me, Hiei, and Kurama," Yusuke snickered a little. "What's one more?"

Okay, so maybe indirectly mocking Hiei wasn't the nicest thing he could be doing, but it was fun.

"It seems like there's going to be a lot of you..."

"Eh, yeah. It's... kind of a pack and ditch situation, so it's probably gonna be too crowded. I'm taking half a dozen of Pops' monks with so that we can get everything she wants to bring in one fell swoop. She'll direct,the rest of us will pack,and then we can all come back here."

Yukina's eyes widened slightly.

"Is it going to be dangerous?"

"I mean, it might?" Yusuke scratched his head a little, then shrugged. "But other than not giving Pops his revenge opportunity, it probably won't be. We're all pretty strong, so there's not much to worry about."

Setting that trap for Satori later was still on his mind, of course, but he had to admit that the likelihood of it coming to any sort of fruition was pretty low. Not just because Kimiko would protest, but just because the logistics of it were hard to figure; there wasn't much chance of getting in _and_ out, _and_ being able to come back later.

"Oh my... it sounds terribly fraught."

"It'll be good for us, though. It's... yeah, Sis has been a long time in coming home. Hey, how's things going on your end, anyways?"

He managed to contain the grin; Hiei's glower could have melted stone at this point. Yukina only looked mildly downcast.

"Well, it's still much too early to hear anything," she sighed a little. "But it would be nice if I could..."

"I'm sure your brother's closer than you think,"and Yusuke couldn't _help_ the snicker. "You'll see."

"Do you really think so? That would be lovely."

Yukina's whole face lit up with a hopeful smile, and Yusuke actually felt his heart skip slightly. Damn inconvenient thing that it was... Even Hiei's glower seemed to lose steam in the face of that expression, or so it seemed.

"Yeah. I'm sure of it," and the words came out far more sincerely than he'd both expected or meant. "And y'know, you can stick around as long as you want. Not t'be rude or nothin, but I'm sure Sis would like someone else who's got a calmer personality hanging around while she adjusts."

Hell, Yukina could probably teach Kimiko how to heal on purpose instead of by instinct; that had been a common lament when she'd figured out she _could_ heal, anyways.

"What's your sister like?" Yukina asked.

"Ehhh," Yusuke shrugged a little, smiling wryly. "Not as crazy as me?"

That made her giggle.

"You're not crazy," she protested, smiling up at him.

"Yeah, have you _talked_ to people around here?" he grinned.

"...well, not _that_ crazy, then," she amended, giggling again.

She had a nice laugh; not high pitched and grating like some of the other demons who tried to flirt with him. It was soft, like her voice, and warm. Not false. What would it take, he wondered, to make her _really_ laugh?

No time like the present to find out, and killing time with Yukina was probably better than beyond abjectly bored and annoying everyone else. Again, in the case of Raizen.

"Wanna go wandering into the city with me? Gotta be something better there than being stuck here."

Yukina blinked, thought for a moment, then nodded a little shyly.

"Sure."

* * *

"So, you ready to leave yet?" Yusuke asked, lounging on a couch he'd conjured up in their dreamscape.

"No," Kimiko said honestly, perched on a stool. "But I don't know that I ever _will_ be, so I suppose it's best to get it done and over with. I've had entirely too much time to think as it is."

"You'll see, Sis, things'll be awesome once you get here," and he grinned at her.

"...I hope so..."

He threw a pillow at her, which she ducked without entirely thinking about it.

"Seen... y'know... was she by today?"

"Mmhm. She brought me supplies, and asked if I was feeling all right," and Kimiko rubbed the tip of her nose briefly.

"What'd you tell her?"

"That maybe I was wrong about the air freshening mix I'd discovered, and I was going to stop using it for a few days. She seemed pleased by that, and didn't press."

Yusuke sat up a little, and his expression indicated concern.

"I'm _fine_ , Yuu," she said with a small smile. "My nerves are probably showing. You know I'm bad at being anything other than honest..."

He sighed a little and made a face.

"Yeah. I know. You're an open book to pretty much everyone."

Kimiko only shrugged in acknowledgment. It was true, after all.

"You sure you're doing okay, though?"

"Mmn... I'm thinking too much,and it feels like everything's going to come toppling down," she sighed a little, glumly. "It's... I don't know, this feels too easy. And no one's come by to be distracting in a helpful way, so all I've been _doing_ is think."

"What, no fox to take your mind off of things?" Yusuke teased.

The pillow came flying back, scoring a direct hit on his face as Kimiko blushed. He yelped, then snickered at her expense when he saw her expression. While he probably hadn't _meant_ to imply anything, her mind had made the jump, and left her far more flustered than the simple comment warranted.

"Shut up," she grumbled, giving him a half-hearted glare. "You're such an ass."

"Ah, you know you love me," he chortled a little.

"I _will_ conjure up a lake beneath that couch of yours," Kimiko threatened, though she didn't really mean it. "It's not _my_ fault it's feeling too quiet around here!"

He just continued to snicker at her, and she pouted a little; it hadn't been very long, true, but she had started looking forward to Kurama's unscheduled visits for the same reason she looked forward to Satori's; it was someone to talk to, someone to _see_. Something that broke up the monotony, and made each day something new.

"Ah, you'll see him tomorrow, and us too," Yusuke said once he'd stopped laughing. "Know what all you want packed up?"

"Mmhm. How many people are coming with you?"

"Half a dozen, plus Hiei," and he made a face. "Still can't believe Pops thinks he'll be a good guard for me..."

"It seems more like he's teasing you," she said with a tiny smile. "I mean, you do complain regularly about having a bodyguard at all."

"Yeah, but _Hiei_? He's fast, sure, but nowhere near as strong as me!"

"...that might be the point," she said thoughtfully. "If you get involved in a brawl, who better to summon backup than someone who can run circles around you?"

"I... hey! Who says I'm getting involved in brawls?!"

"You mean you're not?~" And she grinned at him.

The pillow made a return visit, and knocked her off her stool. She swore at him good-naturedly, and got back to her feet, this time to jump at him with pillow in hand and start a wrestling match. In the dreamscape, they were evenly matched, far moreso than in reality, and Kimiko eventually managed to get the upper hand and sit on his back.

"...I wonder if this will change," she said after a moment,once Yusuke had conceded defeat and she'd gotten off. "These nightly visits, I mean."

He shrugged, fixing his hair and tugging his shirt back down.

"I mean, we've met, but it's still goin on," he replied.

"Yes, but that's because we're still apart," she pointed out. "Do you think that'll change if we're in the same place for long periods of time?"

"Guess we're gonna find out, huh? Oh, Hey, you cool if I stick Yukina with you for a bit when you get here?"

"...I guess not, but why?"

Yusuke shrugged a little.

"She's calm, and she knows how to heal on purpose. Plus, it might get Hiei to refrain from killing us all."

"Well, maybe if you didn't drop unsubtle hints to her about him being right there," she drawled, giving him a fond shove. "He has his reasons for not telling her the truth."

"But it's _fun_ ," Yusuke grinned, and shoved lightly back. "He can't attack me while she's around either; he's tryin to leave a good impression or somethin."

"You keep pushing him, and he might change his mind," Kimiko pointed out. "Or challenge you to a sparring session. Just because you have more power doesn't mean you _use_ it better, Yuu. And you keep saying he's faster than you, so if you get stabbed, I'm just going to say 'I told you so.'"

He stuck his tongue out at her and she responded in kind.

"Oh, yeah, how formal or informal do you wanna meet Pops? He's whinin about it."

The idea of King Raizen fussing over how to meet her made her blink, and she half-smiled a little in bemusement.

"I don't know... Should I know?"

"Well, I mean, formal's probably _bound_ to be ridiculous, and that's more 'King' than 'Dad'," Yusuke replied, waving a hand lightly.

She frowned a little, thinking about it; she barely had a clear idea of Raizen as a king, _or_ as a father, just based on two different testimonials. Harsh, kind, strong, weak... After a moment she just shrugged a little helplessly.

"...I suppose whichever would let me see... what he's like for myself."

"That's not helpful," Yusuke grumbled.

"Oh, was I supposed to be helping?" she teased.

This time he shoved her, and she shoved back.

"Okay, but really," he huffed a little.

"Really, Yuu, I don't know. That's just... one of those things that's been worrying at me. Whatever expectations he has, I know... I know I won't live up to any of them."

"Well, maybe not right away, but he knows all that," Yusuke scoffed a little. "I doubt he'll put _you_ through a crash course in training though. I mean, he still might, but-"

"Yusuke, you're not helping." Kimiko sighed a little, and ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know, all right? I'm equal parts excited and nervous, and I know it'll happen sooner or later, but I don't know how. I just want..."

She was quiet,and after a moment he nudged her lightly.

"What?"

"...It'll probably be more awkward, but I want at least one person with me when it happens. You, or Kurama... hell, I'd accept Hiei, I think, which is kind of amusing since I barely know him. Just... I don't know, just in case..."

Yusuke tossed an arm around her shoulders and hugged her briefly.

"Hey, you'll definitely have me," he said confidently. "And your fox already promised to stick with you, so it should be all good, right?"

"...I hope so, Yusuke. I really hope so..."

* * *

Yomi had not returned, and Kurama was shifting between irritated impatience, and concern as he lingered in awareness as late night shifted towards early morning. What could have kept his second out this long, with no word sent to the camp? Was he injured, was he dead?

On any other day, he might have cared less, but this plan was too close to fruition to _not_ be concerned.

He knew where Yomi liked to drink and thus, after telling Ides to pick a few people since Yomi wasn't around to do so, where to start looking. It was a little aggravating to know that he was going to have to do so, and potentially be late to help Kimiko, but if Yomi wasn't accounted for, that left a hole of uncertainty in his plans.

He knew Yomi's energy well enough to recognize where the other demon had been, and also where he currently was not. In the pre-dawn hours, the pub was closed, and clearly had been for some time. Yomi, therefore, _should_ have returned to camp.

So where had he gone instead?

And _why_?

Well, no, the why was probably obvious. They had been butting heads far too often as of late; Yomi's reckless behavior at Raizen's palace had almost gotten all of them killed, even as it had led Kurama to Kimiko in the first place. Whatever he was doing, without Kurama's permission, it was likely bound to be something he thought would prove _to_ Kurama that he didn't need the oversight.

Kurama's ears went flat in his irritation, and his tail twitched meditatively. He should have dealt with Yomi well before now... Putting it off like this, allowing his actions to slide, had only given Yomi a false sense of security. That _had_ to be addressed.

Pre-dawn shifted into true dawn as he made it back to the camp, no sign nor sense of Yomi in the surrounding area. The camp was half torn down already, only those few Shats had chosen remaining in the area to take advantage of the one group of demons who thought their tricks and traps were challenging.

Ides was waiting by his tent, and Kurama had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't for anything good. Wordlessly, the other demon handed him a note; it lacked a seal, and seemed to be written on a scrap of poorly made paper. The faint hint of lingering energy around it was almost...familiar.

Silent himself, Kurama flipped it open, scanned what few words there were, then had to take great care to not immediately crush it in his fist.

"Who gave you this?"

"Cloaked figure. Eight feet. Sibilant voice, vaguely high pitch," Ides replied. "Long nails. Said it was for you."

Kurama folded the note very carefully and slowly, refusing to betray any signs of anxiety, or worse, fury. Tucking it into his hakama, he glanced over the camp,then nodded very slightly.

"Oversee the teardown of the camp," he ordered, his tone colder than normal. "Should Yomi return, see that he remains in camp until I do as well. _This_ camp. Not the main base."

Ides stared for a moment, then nodded slowly. Kurama didn't expect that Yomi _would_ return to the camp before he did, but just in case he and this note were wrong, it was better to hedge his bets.

Because if the note wasn't wrong, Kimiko was about to be in more danger than she deserved.

He turned away as the sun slowly flickered its way into the crimson and gray sky, and left the camp, keeping his pace slow for the moment. Once he was out of sight, he picked up his feet and started to run.

 _I know of a tower and a girl. So too, does the demon named Yomi. Hurry along, little fox, or lose that which could reward you._


	10. Nine

Nine

'Wait two days' she'd said. Yomi snorted a little as he studied the tower from the rim of the crater. He'd waited one, mostly just to study the tower itself. _Someone_ was in there to be certain; every now and again he'd seen a figure come to the window as if looking for something, but he was too far away to make out more than that. A treasure guardian, perhaps, hiding their power level to catch potential thieves off guard.

It was a difficult tower to reach unnoticed, though; the ground looked as thought it had been blasted away at some point, and there was no growth, or cover to hide behind. He'd thought about scaling in the dark, but who knew what sort of traps might lurk beneath that ground. He wanted to show Kurama _up_ , not require rescue again. Annoying to have to think like him to get the better of him, though...

Yomi snorted a little; in the slowly growing light he could see that the large window only took up a quarter of the tower's face. If he approached from the blind sides, he could _probably_ make that leap with minimal effort, steal the treasure and then get back to camp and wave it in Kurama's face that he, _Yomi_ , had taken what Kurama had not.

And that would be something worth bragging about indeed.

* * *

Kimiko knew it was much too early for visitors, but even with her dream visit from Yusuke, she had been too nervous and agitated to sleep longer. Even pulling out the bracers—she would put them on soon, really she would—and trying to meditate on them hadn't calmed her any.

 _Oh_ , but she wished Kurama had come the previous night. Having someone much more steady around her would have been helpful... plus, he was a much better cook. Already she had burned two different attempts at breakfast, unable to keep herself from pacing to the window to look outside, wondering who she would see first; her brother or her friend?

Could this really work? Could she get away from Satori this easily, without her even knowing? Oh, but her rage would be great when she came to the tower to find nothing... Would that lure her to Raizen, or would she steer clear of the king, no longer having Kimiko to use as a power source to facilitate... whatever it was Satori had wanted the power for?

Did it really matter at this point?

Kimiko sighed, frowning at nothing, then yelped as she caught the scent of food beginning to scorch and scampered over to the stove to rescue her latest attempt at a meal. She _had_ to focus, damnit... At the rate she was going, she was libel to burn up all the food she currently had, and _then_ what would she do?

After a moment she had to admit that she would eat it so long as it wasn't burned entirely black the way breakfasts one and two had been. Fortunately, breakfast three avoided the same fate as the first two, albeit it was decided scorched around the edges.

"...wonder if I can just get someone else to make me food when I get there?" she muttered, taking her food to the table, and flopping down onto her stool. "Goodness knows all my practice hasn't made _me_ any good at this..."

And of course, now that the food was in front of her, she found her appetite withered away to nothing. She made herself eat anyways, knowing that it would, if nothing else, consume a few minutes. And also that she was going to need food to make it through the day. Where most demons could get away with eating irregular meals—and Yusuke could as well, the jerk—Kimiko needed at least two per day, due to her humanesque metabolism. Getting dizzy because she had failed to eat breakfast was a good way to be made fun of by her brother.

Probably Hiei too...

She stalled it out as long as she could on her own, and thus was in the perfect position to see an unfamiliar demon come leaping in through her window. She started from her stool, giving him a quick once over; he didn't _look_ hurt, but he didn't look friendly either... in fact, he looked marginally _less_ friendly than Hiei had, and the fact that he held a ball of green energy aimed right at her made her hold very still, breath caught in her throat.

He glanced around, a scowl on his face, allowing her to take a longer look, even as she slowly edged backwards, towards the stairs to her room. This was one of the worst things that could happen, and she had no way of doing anything about it except getting to the bracers. She hoped, _prayed_ , that once she got those on, Yusuke would know, and he would come running.

Her eyes flicked over the dark hair, two horns, managed to avoid meeting the dark eyes, and settled on the hakama; her heart jumped slightly. That was the same style as what Kurama wore. Kurama had a gang of thieves. But... He'd promised he wouldn't tell them where the tower was.

Had he lied to her?

...No, that made no sense. Kurama's reward was guaranteed more by helping her than by arranging to have her kidnapped. He, _they_ , benefited more by her compliance, and her willingness to tell Raizen that it had been a rescue.

Right?

Kimiko took another careful step back, trying not to draw the demon's attention to her. If she could just reach the stairs, if she could just get to her _room_...

As her heel nudged the bottom step, the demon finally pinned her with his stare. Kimiko froze indecisively; ought she bolt and risk being caught, or stay still and see what he wanted.

"Where's the treasure?!" he demanded, glowering at her as if she was somehow to blame.

"W-what treasure?" she stammered, somewhere between confused and upset.

"I was _told_ there was a treasure here," he snapped.

Kimiko's mind latched onto the word, and she felt her heart trembling; _Kurama_ had called her a treasure... A flattering, pleasing compliment, or so she had thought. What if he'd been using it as a descriptor after all?

"There's not," she replied, keeping her voice as steady as she could under the circumstances. "This is just my home. I don't have anything that glitters or gleams here..."

Slowly, with great care, she slid her foot onto the bottom step, and inched her way up onto it. She doubted she could _talk_ her way out of this one, but maybe...

The demon gave her an unfriendly stare, and she tried not to shiver. It was one thing to mouth off to her brother or Kurama; they wouldn't hurt her deliberately. This one though... this one would hurt her quite a bit if she gave him reason to.

"Where are you hiding it?!"

"I told you, there isn't anything _like_ that," she retorted. "There's only ever been one thing in this tower, and that's _me_."

His eyes narrowed into a calculating expression, and Kimiko mentally kicked herself. Stupid to admit that. _So_ stupid. It wasn't worth waiting around to see what his response to that might be; she spun and lifted her skirt, taking the stairs three at a time until she made it to her room and slammed the door.

The bracers gleamed softly in the low light on her bed; there as no time to try and block the door, and she could already hear a steady tread up the stairs. There was no exit from this room, and no real place to hide. What a time to wish for secret passages, or even just _more_ _time_ to learn from Kurama...

She scrambled from the door to her bed and fumbled with the catches on the bracers; the leather was stiff, having never been worn or properly shaped to her, but she managed to get one one and fastened tight before the stranger reached her door. She grabbed the other and rolled under her bed in a panic; she just needed to get them both on...

It was actually a good thing she'd chosen to do that, as the door was blown into fragments mere moments later. She couldn't help her cry of fear and panic, even as she shoved her arm into the bracer; the clasps scraped her arm, but she was too frightened to care about that at the moment, only fighting with them to clasp properly, and wildly shoving what little power she carried into the crystals embedded along the back.

They flared to life even as the demon stepped into the room, and Kimiko prayed that someone would get to her in time. Leaving of her own accord was one thing; being kidnapped, _again_ , was entirely another.

* * *

Yusuke had been up early for once, double and triple checking that they would have everyone and everything necessary to get Kimiko, pack up, and head out. Given that Raizen was leaving everything to him, albeit testily, not to mention that this was probably one of the more important things happening, he was being far more meticulous than usual.

So really, the sudden flare of light from his bracer, followed quickly by the sound of a threatening bellow from Raizen, was enough to make him jump to respond.

...though really, he wouldn't have been too terribly surprised if the entire _palace_ hadn't jumped in response to Raizen's clear anger. Yusuke took the stairs in literal bounds, skipping most of them in his rush to answer; when Raizen sounded _that_ furious, no one—not even Yusuke—would test him by making him wait longer than it took to get there.

And it didn't take a genius to realize that something had gone horribly, terribly wrong.

* * *

Kurama leaped into the tower as Yomi emerged from Kimiko's room, dragging the struggling young woman by her arm. Without really thinking about it, Kurama manifested his whip, and Yomi halted at the top of the stairs.

"Let her go," Kurama said, his tone ice cold.

"What's the matter, Kurama?" Yomi sneered a little. "Upset because I got here first?"

"Let. Her. Go." Kurama repeated. "If you make me say it a third time, I will not be responsible for what happens to you."

Kimiko's struggles were largely ineffectual, but she was trying anyways; it was hard to not focus on her, but right now, Yomi was the one who could potentially ruin everything. And if Yomi realized just _how_ important Kimiko was, not just to the plan but to _him_ , it would only get worse.

Yomi's grip on Kimiko abruptly shifted; he hauled her in front of him, using Kimiko as a shield in a clear bid to avoid Kurama's most versatile and well-known weapon.

"This girl will make us rich, and you think I'm just going to let her go?" he retorted. "We could get whatever we wanted for her!"

"We could get _killed_ if you persist in your misinformation," Kurama replied, still icily calm. "Or did you think King Raizen would negotiate with a pack of thieves foolish enough to hold his daughter captive?"

Yomi's angry expression shifted just slightly towards shock; Kurama wanted to shake his head in disgust and anger, but refrained. Kimiko, to the surprise of both of them, took the opportunity to utilize one of the few lessons Kurama had given her, and managed to piston her heel into Yomi's knee. Yomi snarled a little even as he staggered and his grip on her loosened enough that she was able to shove out of his hold.

She teetered precariously on the edge of the steps, then elected to fling herself over that edge; Kurama moved forward quickly and caught her before she could hit the ground with any part of her. She was shaking, and her hands wrapped in his hakama briefly, before she abruptly shoved out of his grip too, to stand on her own two feet.

He let her, more surprised than anything else. He'd expected her to huddle into him, possibly even to hamper him, but... her expression was wary. Untrusting, even.

"...are you hurt?"Kurama asked, glancing briefly at her then returning his focus to Yomi.

"You told him," she said accusingly, hurt and bewilderment lacing her voice. "You said you wouldn't tell anyone!"

Surprised, he glanced at her again, longer this time; her hair was tangled, some of it singed from the energy attack Yomi had employed on the door, one of her arms looked like it was bleeding sluggishly beneath the bracer, and her skirt was torn almost up to her hip.

"I told no one where the tower was, Kimiko, and he has never been allowed to follow me," and Kurama turned a cold look on Yomi, who still stood at the top of the stairs, glaring defiantly down. "I too, would like to know just how he showed up here, now."

Yomi only sneered.

"You think you're so wise and powerful, such a perfect leader," he spat. "And then you keep _this_ from us?"

"Because your hot-headedness would cause problems, as you currently are," Kurama replied, shifting a little to keep Kimiko covered protectively; this one event had already eroded what trust he'd managed to build with her, that much was obvious. He had to choose his words carefully to reinforce the idea that no, he had _not_ told Yomi where she was. "If you had returned to camp as you were meant, you would know everything you were needed to know. Now. How did you get here?"

He put enough icy bite into the words to let Yomi know that if he didn't answer, he was going to be in for more than just a bad time.

And that was the moment the final player dropped into the room. Literally.

The demoness dropped from the rafters, launching attacks at both Yomi and Kurama; Yomi swore in pain and staggered back against the wall, drawing his sword to lash out blindly as blood coursed down his face. Kurama was caught between dodging and leaving Kimiko unprotected or staying put and keeping her safe.

Kimiko herself took that decision from him, reacting with more speed and strength than he'd expected to pull him down, avoiding what turned out to be spikes that buried themselves in the stone wall beyond.

"Satori, no!" Kimiko cried. "Please, stop!"

Kurama rolled to his feet and put himself between Kimiko and the demoness, Satori, taking in her caretaker properly for the first time. Purple-black hair tied up in a tail and framed by two silver horns that curled back over her skull, eyes that gleamed orange, scales of black and gray, with an armored green front, long legs that ended in two clawed from toes and one clawed back one. Long nails that plainly doubled as claws...

And _power._

This was not good. It explained a great deal of why Kimiko had wanted to avoid invoking the wrath of her caretaker; Kurama knew he was strong, but Satori's power was stronger, and she was decidedly much older. Taking her on directly was a recipe for disaster, and something he should have anticipated.

The fact that he hadn't was all on him.

Satori lunged for him and again Kimiko surprised him by putting herself directly in the way, arms splayed out in a clear bid to shield him with her much smaller frame.

* * *

Kimiko was feeling too much, on emotional overload as she was; she wasn't being given the time to try and properly process what was going on, and her mind kept swinging between wanting to believe Kurama, and thinking that everything he'd said was a lie. The idea that Satori might have set it all up as a trap had honestly never occurred to her until the demoness herself appeared, easily disabling Yomi and almost getting Kurama as well.

She hadn't thought she could move so fast, but the idea of Kurama being hurt because of her had spurred her to action. She flinched back against Kurama's chest as Satori's nails pricked her forehead; she had placed herself directly over where the heart would be if he was human, praying that Satori's desire for her power would actually make the demoness stop.

"Move," Satori ordered.

Kimiko shuddered from top to toe, but she stood still in mute defiance.

"Kimiko, move," Kurama said quietly.

"I _won't,"_ she snapped, her voice shaking as much as the rest of her. "I won't let you hurt anyone else because of me!"

"Then you should not have encouraged the thief to return," Satori said coldly, slowly drawing her arm back. "These measures would not have been required if you had not."

"No one encouraged me," Kurama replied, his tone coldly neutral; one arm snaked around her waist, hand curling lightly against her hip. His presence steadied her, even knowing as she did that there was little chance they were getting away from this without a fight of some sort. "She tried quite hard to be discouraging. I simply have a good nose for treasures."

Satori's fury was not even remotely abated by his answer.

"She is _mine_ ," was the angry hiss. "I will allow no one to take her from me, especially not some _thief_ who seeks only his own reward at her expense! You lie and bring your own second to kidnap her from me!"

Kimiko swallowed hard, trying to find the comfort from Kurama's warmth, but only found herself wondering more and more if that really was his motivation. Was all of this just so he could be rewarded, getting what he wanted from her?

With her conflicting emotions, it was all to easy to believe this... And the way he went still, his lack of response, only made her feel worse.

Kurama's hand on her hip tightened fractionally, and she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking, even though she dared not move in the slightest; the moment she exposed him, Satori would be all over him, and...

She yelped in surprise as Kurama abruptly yanked her to the side, half-throwing her across the room to tumble to a halt near the stairs; Yomi was still at the top, though his silence made her wonder if he was dead. She kept her head down as the energy whip flashed around the room, countering Satori's speedy attacks... but a whip was no weapon for a confined space, and Kimiko managed to shake off her daze in time to see Satori's nails sink deep into Kurama's chest.

For a moment, time simply froze, and the scene, she knew,would imprint on her memory for the rest of her life. Satori's fang bared in a vicious grin, Kurama's expression somewhere between resignation and pain.

As if he had known this would be the outcome, and had done it anyways.

But why?

Satori threw him across the room to land in the kitchen and Kimiko found herself able to move again, scrambling to her feet and heading straight for him; if she could reach him in time, if she could just-

Satori grabbed her arm, halting her in her tracks.

"We are leaving," she said coldly, pulling Kimiko towards the window.

"No. _No!_ " Kimiko struggled, twisting her arm and digging in her heels, trying to slow Satori in any way. Yusuke still needed to get there, and damned if she wasn't going to at least _try_ to save Kurama! "Kurama! _Kurama!_ Please, Satori, just let me heal him!"

Satori lifted her off the ground easily, orange eyes narrowing in their fury.

"You will cease the struggling," she ordered.

Kimiko responded by kicking at her. It was mostly ineffectual, but at this point she didn't care; she wasn't going to let Kurama die, not when she could _do_ something about it, damnit.

"If you don't let me help him, I'll _never_ share my power with you again," she cried, using the only threat that she thought might stop Satori in her tracks.

Satori looked at her for a long moment as Kimiko panted for breath, glaring defiantly even as she trembled from fear; if this didn't work, if Satori didn't think Kimiko _could_ hold back her own power, then this was all for nothing.

She was dropped so abruptly that she ended up on her rear, staring up at the angry demoness.

"If he follows, if he attacks, I will kill him," she hissed.

Kimiko didn't question her moment of reprieve; she scrambled into the kitchen where Kurama was slumped against the wall, blood as crimson as any human's staining the white hakama. He had lifted one hand to put pressure on the wounds and she knelt at his side, trying not to panic too hard; if she gave into the panic, she wouldn't be able to do _anything_.

"It's gonna be okay," she whispered, reaching out to carefully pull at the stained hakama, trying to get a better view of the injury. "It's all right, I'll heal you, and you'll be-"

He lifted his other hand and lightly touched a finger to her lips, then shifted his touch to trail across her cheek. His other hand, stained with his own blood, caught one of hers, and despite herself, she clung to his hand, allowing him the distraction. Confused she might have been, but damnit, she _cared_ about him.

"You," he rasped softly, "were never... a reward. A prize. I would have... stayed with you simply to...stay."

Her breath caught, and the tears that filled her eyes spilled over.

"Kurama..."

He pulled her in and gave her a soft kiss; power, _her_ power, flared, but before it had the chance to go anywhere, silver fire consumed Kurama. The hands that touched her, the mouth the pressed against hers, all melted away until there was only flickering silver light. Bewildered, she watched as that simply vanished, and the only sign that Kurama had been there at all was the crimson on her hands.

"That power is mine," Satori said into the silence. "Give it to me."

Kimiko just stared blankly at the place where Kurama had been, heart cracking into pieces. He was gone. She had allowed him to distract her from what she'd been intending to do, and now he was _gone_.

The power hovered, as if it was as lost and confused as she was, and for the first time, Kimiko reached out for it herself, and embraced it.

Knowledge flooded into her; the power of the Carnivorous Wish Blossom, what it had been meant to do, how she and her brother had come about. How the power she carried worked, how it responded to desire, how she could gift it, or keep it as she pleased.

Sacrifice.

Sacrifices for her.

As Kurama had just done.

Whole-hearted gifts of affection, of pleasure, produced power. Unwilling gifts, the least. And self-sacrifice, the most.

Had he known that, when he'd distracted her, prevented her from healing him? Or had he simply done it in a bid to break through that wall she had known was there, trying to help her in his last moments.

Did it matter?

He was gone.

 _He was gone_.

Power poured into her, far more energy than she'd ever had at any one time, turning her into a bonfire of lavender energy that flared and rippled as her conflicting emotions and thoughts chased themselves around in her head.

Who was to blame? Was it her for never trying to understand? Was it Satori for keeping her eternally in the dark, and taking this power for herself? Was it Kurama for jumping into a fight he knew, _he knew_ , he couldn't win?

The tower itself shuddered under the onslaught, furniture shifting back away from where Kimiko still knelt, dishes rattling on shelves and clattering in the sink.

And when she finally screamed in her grief, the top of the tower simply came apart.

* * *

They had left at a dead run, held back only by Yusuke's speed—respectable for a half-demon, but still not quite fast enough. Raizen hadn't even given him room to argue, but Yusuke hadn't wanted to anyways; that Kimiko had put on and activated her bracers could only mean one thing.

Something had gone wrong.

They reached the lip of the crater in time to watch the top third of the tower simply... shatter in lavender light. Yusuke swore, shielding his eyes, and almost missed seeing someone come sailing out the spot where he knew the window to be. Stone and wood flew in all directions, and the monks all shared a startled exclamation.

Raizen snarled a little, his eyes fixed on that distant person.

"Get your sister," he snapped.

"Through _that_?" Yusuke protested.

" _Do it_ , boy."

Raizen shot off across the rocky, barren ground, effortlessly dodging debris, and Yusuke swore as he stared at the tower, wondering just how he was going to get to Kimiko through _that._ Who's power even _was_ it? It was so much, it held frozen him in awe, and maybe a little bit of fear. Not that he was going to admit to the latter.

Hiei gave him a shove, surprising him.

"Get moving," the shorter demon ordered. "That's your _sister_ in there."

And like that, it was suddenly easy again. Hiei was right, that _was_ his sister up there, and it didn't matter who's power it was, or who Raizen had elected to go after on the floor of the crater. What mattered was getting Kimiko, and making sure she was safe.

"You guys hang back," he ordered, looking at Hokushin and the rest. "I got this."

"Lord Yusuke-" Hokushin attempted to protest.

But Yusuke didn't let him, simply leaping from the top of the cliff well out into the crater; Hiei easily kept up as Yusuke's feet raised a trail of dust, though the short demon seemed inclined to wait _outside_ the tower as Yusuke jumped up the wall, using the stones as handholds instead of making one great leap.

He had the sense that if he did it _that_ way, whatever power was running wild wouldn't let him in. From off to the far end of the clear, he heard Raizen's furious bellow, and felt his father's power rise to clash with another, though he didn't dare risk a look. He hoped it was the bitch, though; it would serve her right to finally be dealt with after all this time.

The interior of the tower was awash in lavender light; furniture was tossed about as though someone had come through with the pure intent to wreck the place, and Yusuke had to brace himself against the outward push of it, leaning at an angle in a bid to avoid being knocked over.

Someone was unconscious or dead at the top of the stairs, but the hand that hung between the banister rails was too muscled and bare to belong to his sister, so Yusuke ignored them.

"Kimiko!" he hollered. "Sis! Answer me!"

The light was brightest in the kitchen area, and he edged towards it; maybe if he knocked whoever this person was unconscious, Kimiko would feel it was safe enough to come out...

He stopped short when he realized that it wasn't some stranger pouring out the power. It was _Kimiko,_ lost in what seemed to be blind, pure grief, carrying more power than he'd ever expected her to hold.

What had caused her to lose control like this? And, more importantly, how could he get her to _stop_ before she killed herself?

Yusuke gritted his teeth and moved forward, against the pressure of the power that lashed out indiscriminately, tearing strips out of his clothes as he moved in.

"Kimiko!" he tried again. "Hey, c'mon,wake up, Sis!"

There was... blood. Illuminated in the lavender energy, he could see blood on the wall, on her hand, on her clothes. And she was sobbing... he had seen her crying a few times, but only once before had she done it to this degree. Yusuke stood there helplessly for a moment, remembering suddenly all to well how badly Kimiko had reacted to Satori killing the one prior demoness who had tried to help her leave the tower.

And there was no sign of Kurama who, logically at this point, should have been there, would have been the better option to calm her down.

Yusuke drew a bitter conclusion in only a few moments,and worked his way closer to Kimiko. Her power didn't abate, but neither did it cause him any harm... as though subconsciously, she knew it was him, and the energy shifted accordingly.

Whatever the reason, he managed to get close enough to her to drop to a kneeling position and wrap his arms around her.

"I got you Sis," he said, pulling her against his chest. "I got you."

Kimiko looked at him in blind bewilderment, and then in slow recognition. She flung her arms around Yusuke, buried her face against his shoulder, and just sobbed as the power flickered, and then snuffed out all at once. From a terrifying power, she became his sister once more, broken-hearted and prostrate with grief.

Yusuke just rested his chin on her head and held her tight; there wasn't anything he could say in the moment, and he didn't intend to try. He just held her tightly until she cried herself into unconsciousness.

He felt Hiei come up after several minutes, and carefully got up, lifting Kimiko into his arms as he did so; there wasn't a chance in hell they were leaving her behind now, and he wasn't inclined towards passing her off to someone else either.

"Raizen seems to be having fun," was all Hiei said, turning to look out from what was left of the window.

"...who's he fighting?" Yusuke asked, moving carefully over to the window and squinting a little.

"Someone who's no match for him in power, speed, or skill," Hiei replied, plainly able to see the fight with ease. "He seems to be drawing it out."

"...yeah, he would. C'mon. There's no point in hanging around, and Pops'll fight better with all of us out of the way."

There wasn't much point in trying to pack up either; Kimiko's burst of pure power had all but destroyed most of the tower. There wasn't really anything left _to_ pack.

Hiei nodded slightly, and followed as Yusuke dropped from the tower, and didn't look back.

* * *

The first three weeks at the palace, Kimiko didn't do much more than eat, sleep, and grieve, and she only ate because Yusuke would stand over her and make sure she did. But as much as he tried, she knew he didn't have the patience to sit still while she showed little interest in exploring. Eventually, despite his best attempts, he would end up leaving her alone, to wallow in her thoughts and her pain.

This day was no different than any other; Yusuke had made sure she ate, tried to coax her into stepping out of the room, and had ultimately left her with some books once he'd tired of pushing. A part of her knew at some point he was libel to end up so exasperated with her that he'd probably _drag_ her out, but... well, at the moment she still could outwait him.

Usually when Yusuke left, she was left to herself until he decided to come back; he hadn't introduced her yet to Yukina, or anyone else, wanting her to recover a little more first. So when someone stepped into the room, she felt a stirring of emotion somewhere between weary resignation and maybe a touch of anger.

She looked up from what she had been attempting to read, but any words she might have said died on her tongue when she realized that it was Raizen who was looking down at her, an inscrutable expression on his face. His power dwarfed Satori's, and she had refrained from asking what had happened to her caretaker for that very reason; as though embracing the power of the Blossom had flipped some switch within her, now she _could_ sense the energy of others, though they still needed to be fairly close range for her to get.

Not Raizen, though; his power permeated the stone of the palace itself. And strangely, she found it comforting. She had never felt protected before...

Slowly, hesitantly, she set her book aside, and tried not to shift uneasily as he seemed to scrutinize her. In turn, she got her first _real_ look at her father.

He looked much less intimidating than she'd thought he might; his white hair was wild, sure, but it was the fluffy sort of wild where she kind of wanted to play with it; probably _had_ in the few weeks she'd lived with him and Yusuke both... And his face was softer, more kind than she'd been expecting. She could see a lot of Yusuke's features in the planes of his cheeks and jaw, the way he tilted his head a little as he studied her... and his expression became less opaque, more sympathetic, the longer she looked.

Eventually he settled himself on the stool Yusuke like to sit on, and she found that his presence wasn't nearly as overwhelming as she'd thought it would be. He sat like Yusuke did at that, and it was comforting to see her brother's mannerisms in the father she didn't really know.

"It may never stop hurting," he said, and his voice was surprisingly gentle, soothing in a way she hadn't thought it could be, given the way Yusuke complained. "I don't think a day has gone by where I don't miss your mother..."

The mother that neither she, nor Yusuke, had ever known. The mother Satori had selfishly murdered trying to get power to make Raizen beg at her feet.

Kimiko looked down at her lap, not entirely certain why Raizen was there, and not willing to ask.

"You don't forget the ones you love," he continued. "They way they walk, talk, smell, their abilities. You'll carry those with you as a reminder. Some days will be harder than others, and I don't mean just right now. Each day is going to challenge you from here on out, Kimiko. Do you want to live up to the faith your friend had in you, or let down even his memory?"

She stared at him in stunned surprise. Before she could respond, he reached over and put a hand on her head briefly, ruffling her hair in a manner that was familiar and also awkward, then got to his feet and left as abruptly as he'd arrived.

She stared after him for a long moment, then looked down at her hands. There was no longer any blood on her; the clothing had been thrown out, she had scrubbed herself almost raw at one point trying to rid herself of the feeling of it against her skin...

Slowly, she curled her hand into a fist.

Kurama had given up his life to give her this chance. To get her home, to give her a better life than living in that tower. And while three weeks wasn't enough time to ease the pain that was his death, maybe it _was_ time to get up, and see what Toruin palace had to offer.

* * *

 _Thus ends book one. But the story itself is NOT OVER._


End file.
